Man Indicted In Burning Death Of Woman Inside A New York City Subway Train, Prosecutors Say

Authorities say Sebastian Zapeta, 33, set the woman's clothing on fire with a lighter on Sunday morning.

NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train has been indicted on murder and arson charges, a prosecutor said on Friday, as authorities continue working to confirm the victim’s identity.

The indictment comes days after Sebastian Zapeta’s arrest and subsequent police questioning, in which authorities say he claimed not to know what had happened but identified himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit.

Zapeta’s indictment will be unsealed on Jan. 7, according to prosecutors. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez told reporters that Zapeta has been charged with multiple counts of murder as well as an arson charge. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was initially charged in a criminal complaint with murder and arson. Such filings are often a first step in the criminal process because, in New York, all felony cases require a grand jury indictment to proceed to trial unless a defendant waives that requirement.

Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who might have been sleeping on the train, on a stopped F train at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station, and set her clothing on fire with a lighter on Sunday morning. He fanned the flames with a shirt, causing her to become engulfed in flames, authorities said.