Man accused of killing a woman on NYC subway by setting her on fire pleads not guilty to murder
CNN
The man accused of killing a woman by setting her on fire on a New York City subway car last month pleaded not guilty to murder charges Tuesday and was ordered held without bail.
The man accused of killing a woman by setting her on fire on a New York City subway car last month pleaded not guilty to murder charges Tuesday and was ordered held without bail. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old undocumented migrant from Guatemala, was previously indicted on charges of first- and second-degree murder and arson in the killing. CNN has reached out to his lawyer for comment. Police say Zapeta-Calil calmly walked up to 57-year-old Debrina Kawam on the morning of December 22, as she was sleeping on an F train approaching the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn and used a lighter to ignite her clothes and the blanket that was wrapped around her. Kawam, who authorities say resided in New Jersey after a stint in New York’s shelter system, died by homicide caused by thermal injuries and smoke inhalation, according to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Criminal Court. The attack has stoked fears among New Yorkers about safety on subways and in the city at large, after several high-profile, violent incidents in recent years. During an initial court appearance in December, Zapeta-Calil claimed to have no knowledge of the incident, noting his alcohol consumption. Zapeta-Calil did identify himself in photos related to the attack, according to Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg.
House Republicans unveiled a narrow health care package on Friday that does not extend soon-to-expire enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies — the latest sign that Congress is unlikely to avert skyrocketing insurance premiums for millions of Americans in the new year.
The Department of Labor held a Christian prayer service for its employees this week, TKTKTK this is highly unusual.
The Justice Department sued Fulton County, Georgia, on Friday, seeking records related to the 2020 election as efforts continue to prove President Donald Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him.
Adm. Alvin Holsey, the commander of US Southern Command who reportedly clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the legality of the US military strikes in the Caribbean, officially retired on Friday in a ceremony in Floria where he handed the reigns of the command to his deputy.
The nation’s top historic preservation group said Friday it was suing the Trump administration to block construction of President Trump’s planned 90,000 square-foot ballroom until review boards weigh in on the massive project.
The 1980 US Olympic men’s ice hockey team defied nearly insurmountable odds to defeat the Soviet Union, the world’s largest hockey superpower, propelling them to win a gold medal and the nation’s adulation.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Friday that she is focused on an orderly transition of power in her country should President Nicolás Maduro leave power, and is confident that Venezuela’s police and armed forces would not oppose such a transition.
The Venezuelan government said the US administration has unilaterally suspended deportation flights from the United States that were due to land on Friday.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate Friday showing the many powerful figures in the late sex trafficker’s orbit, including President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and others.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from once again detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia, hours after the judge ordered him to be released from an immigration detention facility.
The murder trial of Brian Walshe, who is accused of killing and dismembering his wife in 2023, continues. Follow for live news updates
The Justice Department’s mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James is on life support after a grand jury, for the second time, rejected an indictment that would have revived charges against her.
A little-known civil rights office in the Department of Education that helps resolve complaints from students across the country about discrimination and accommodating disabilities has been gutted by the Trump administration and is now facing a ballooning backlog, a workforce that’s in flux and an unclear mandate.