Sebastian Zapeta, 33, appeared in Brooklyn courtroom in an orange jumpsuit and orange jacket on Tuesday (early Wednesday AEDT), his fingers cuffed behind his again as he was arraigned on homicide and arson expenses within the killing of Debrina Kawam, 57.
Prosecutors allege Zapeta lit the New Jersey native on hearth on a stopped F prepare at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station on December 22. Zapeta then fanned the flames with a shirt earlier than sitting on platform bench and watching as Kawam burned, they allege.
Prosecutors say Zapeta confirmed to police he was the person in surveillance images and movies of the hearth however mentioned he drinks loads of alcohol and didn’t recall what occurred.
Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who authorities say entered the nation illegally after being deported in 2018, faces a most sentence of life in jail with out parole on the homicide cost.
The courtroom listening to lasted lower than 5 minutes. Zapeta stood up, his eyes dealing with the ground, as a Spanish interpreter whispered into his ear. His subsequent courtroom date is ready for March 12.
He was beforehand arraigned on a felony criticism, however in New York, all felony circumstances require a grand jury indictment to proceed to trial except a defendant waives that requirement.
Prosecutors with Brooklyn District Lawyer Eric Gonzalez’s workplace introduced Zapeta had been indicted in late December.
Zapeta’s lawyer did not reply to an e mail searching for touch upon Monday night (Tuesday AEDT).
The killing has renewed dialogue about security within the nation’s largest mass transit system at the same time as crime within the subway stays comparatively uncommon.
Transit crime is down for the second straight 12 months, with a 5.4 per cent drop final 12 months in comparison with 2023, in line with information launched by police Monday, which additionally confirmed a 3 per cent general drop in main crimes citywide.
Nonetheless, New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned in a Monday information convention discussing the statistics that riders merely “do not feel protected”.
In response, she mentioned the division will surge greater than 200 officers onto subway trains and deploy extra officers onto subway platforms within the 50 highest-crime stations within the metropolis.
“We all know that 78 per cent of transit crime happens on trains and on platforms, and that’s fairly clearly the place our officers must be,” Tisch mentioned.
“That is just the start.”
