A man accused of igniting a woman on a subway train says he was too intoxicated to recall the incident
New York City: So, there’s this wild case going on. A guy named Sebastian Zapeta-Calil is in some serious trouble for allegedly setting a woman on fire on the subway. He’s saying he was too drunk to even remember what happened.
He’s 33 and just got hit with murder and arson charges in Brooklyn. The victim, Debrina Kawam, was 57. When the cops showed him the video of the incident, he was like, “Oh damn, that’s me.” Can you imagine? That’s a pretty shocking moment.
He told the police he had been drinking earlier that day and just couldn’t recall the whole thing. He even said, “I am very sorry. I didn’t mean to.” It’s a tough situation, for sure.
According to the prosecutors, he set her on fire while they were on a stopped F train and then just sat there watching it all unfold. That’s pretty chilling, right?
He admitted to being the guy in the surveillance footage but kept insisting he didn’t remember anything because he drinks a lot. It turns out he’s from Guatemala and had been deported before, which adds another layer to this whole mess.
Now, he’s facing some serious charges, and if convicted, he could be looking at life in prison. His lawyer hasn’t said much, and the whole thing has really got people talking about subway safety in New York.
Even though crime in the subway has been going down, folks still don’t feel safe. The police are planning to put more officers on trains and platforms to help with that. It’s a tough time for everyone involved.