What we know about the suspect charged with murder and arson for allegedly setting woman on fire in New York subway

Prosecutors on Monday charged 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil with first- and second-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the death of a woman who died after being set on fire in a New York City subway train a day earlier.

Prosecutors on Monday charged 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil with first- and second-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the death of a woman who died after being set on fire in a New York City subway train a day earlier. The incident has intensified existing fears about safety and disorder on the subway, given a troubling trend of recent random attacks, and put a spotlight on several issues that major cities such as New York have been grappling with for years, such as homelessness, illegal immigration and substance abuse. Police said the suspect approached the victim silently before igniting her clothing, causing flames to engulf her “in a matter of seconds.” Surveillance video showed the suspect watching the victim burn from a bench outside the subway car. Here’s what we know about an act authorities have described as a “brutal murder” and indicative of “depraved behavior.” Zapeta-Calil, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, had been deported in 2018 and subsequently returned to the US illegally, according to federal immigration authorities. His most recent address in an arrest report was listed as a homeless shelter in Brooklyn for men struggling with substance abuse, the New York City Police Department said. CNN reached out to the homeless shelter and the Brooklyn district attorney’s office for comment, but did not immediately hear back.