NY - Female passenger died after being set on fire by man on subway - NYC - December 22, 2024

[jjenny]

The guy fanning her was the guy who set her on fire.

And fanning someone who is on fire is only going to make the flames worse. It's not going to stop the fire.

 

[jjenny]

Maybe.

But.... he evidently lit the fire with out alot of drama in the way of erratic behavior, threats and dousing with flammable liquids etc.. As a result some of those present might not have realized what he was doing.

There was no one present. It was only the suspect and the victim in the train car at the time of the attack.

 

[Teignmouth 22]

Just awful.

R.I.P.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

Dude fanning her with something was the suspect. And fanning her isn't going to do anything good, it is only going to fan the flames. Fanning the fire provides it with more oxygen, it's not going to be helpful, it will only make the fire worse. Realistically, if people who don't know what they are supposed to be doing tried to help, it could make the situation even worse. Such as making the fire worse, spreading it around, or getting injured themsleves.

So it's not a good idea for a citizen to try and help someone because they may injure them or cause damage and they could be found guilty or held liable for those actions. JMO.

 

[Deleted member 350315]

A jacket. Only guy I saw doing anything was fanning her with a washcloth. Do subway cars and stations not have fire extinguishers? I'm almost certain I've seen some type of fire safety equipment (can't remember what they were off hand).

New York City subway trains and stations do not have passenger-accessible fire extinguishers. Given the number of cretins who live here, "within a New York minute" extinguishers would be stolen, vandalized, or used in the commission of other crimes -e.g., spraying people in the face "for fun." That may sound harsh, but it's the truth.

 

[jjenny]

So it's not a good idea for a citizen to try and help someone because they may injure them or cause damage and they could be found guilty or held liable for those actions. JMO.

Some states have good Samaritan laws for a reason. If you try to help but make a situation worse you could be liable, unless there is a good Samaritan law (and those are likely not full proof).

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

His friends at the homeless shelter where he had been living said he was a heavy drinker who chain-smoked a synthetic drug known as K2.

K2 is synthetic "weed"

https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/spice-k2-synthetic-marijuana

Yikes @DS2021 …. that is troublesome IMO.

And anyone correct me if in error, but aren’t some states and municipalities and other jurisdictions working to decriminalize certain such materials including marijuana and other synthetic marijuana? Some in the IMO misbelief that they are not a ‘gateway’ drug or for other reasons? SMH.

Reference: US DOJ / DEA (Department of Justice / Drug Enforcement Administration) Drug Fact Sheet on K2 / Spice (dated October 2022):

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/K2-Spice%202022%20Drug%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

If proven to be a factor, IMO debate needs to be held on the detrimental effects of this material in cases such as this. And it’s availabilty or lawfulness. MOO

 

[jjenny]

He is apparently a heavy drinker as well. He claims he doesn't remember what happened because he was heavily drunk.
"Zapeta-Calil later told police that “he drinks a lot of liquor" and "doesn’t know what happened,” the prosecutor added."

Man accused of fatally setting New York City subway rider on fire says he doesn't recall incident

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen, allegedly admitted to heavy drinking and says he doesn't have memory of the gruesome scene.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Mr.Dandy]

A jacket. Only guy I saw doing anything was fanning her with a washcloth. Do subway cars and stations not have fire extinguishers? I'm almost certain I've seen some type of fire safety equipment (can't remember what they were off hand).

I was wondering that too

 

[Casper Mcfadden]

If authorities can't even control open alcohol use on the subway, I don't see how they can keep people safe from random acts of violence. I stay away from public transportation in California for the same reason, it has become very unsafe. I hope the woman passed quickly and did not suffer, being burned alive sounds like an absolutely horrible way to die.

OMG that sounds horrific , that poor lady and and her loved ones must be devistated....im new to this sluthing thing, but i finally joined cause all my friends and family says id be a good detective...im 40years old i live in Newfoundland Canada and i have nothing but time on my hands and a high I.Q. score, so if there is anyway that i can help with east coast cold cases please let me know. And wish me luck with my help, i feel like this is my purpose in life, but its new to me so i dont even know how to look at case files yet. Lol

 

[Gemmie]

OMG that sounds horrific , that poor lady and and her loved ones must be devistated....im new to this sluthing thing, but i finally joined cause all my friends and family says id be a good detective...im 40years old i live in Newfoundland Canada and i have nothing but time on my hands and a high I.Q. score, so if there is anyway that i can help with east coast cold cases please let me know. And wish me luck with my help, i feel like this is my purpose in life, but its new to me so i dont even know how to look at case files yet. Lol

Welcome to Websleuths, @Casper Mcfadden! Jump right in and do some sleuthing. You're among a lot of like minded people on this site.

Have fun!

 

[Marysmith]

OMG that sounds horrific , that poor lady and and her loved ones must be devistated....im new to this sluthing thing, but i finally joined cause all my friends and family says id be a good detective...im 40years old i live in Newfoundland Canada and i have nothing but time on my hands and a high I.Q. score, so if there is anyway that i can help with east coast cold cases please let me know. And wish me luck with my help, i feel like this is my purpose in life, but its new to me so i dont even know how to look at case files yet. Lol

Welcome Casper!
This is a horrific case for sure. As most are...

 

[AppleTreeGreen]

My hope is that perhaps LE is able to obtain CCTV footage that depict a clear image of the victim long before her horrific murder, perhaps of one recording her walk on the streets above as she headed to the train station or while she passed the turnstiles, and are able to use that to ask around and find a friend, family member, former roommate, a DHS or social worker or caseworker, or an administrator or supervisor at a popular or well known or used homeless shelter, soup kitchen, pantry or community outreach organization who recognize and can identify her. Not only could this help restore the victim of her name and identity and potentially reunite her in some sense with her loved ones but such relations could also provide knowledge and insight into the woman’s life and further humanize her to LE and the public so that she is perceived as not only as a victim who suffered a horrific murder but as a person who lived a whole life, with things and people she loved and chose to explore, had her own thoughts, her own stories and experiences to tell and for each day she breathed and woke up had a day and a future before her vicious killer sickenly robbed that from her. I hope that in court she is still able to be given a voice and that both her name and the memory of her life becomes imprinted into her killer’s brain to the point he is haunted by them long after he is convicted and sentenced in court.

I noticed a lot of discussion about public safety and how the public response thinks or wonders how bystanders should respond following this terrible crime. Perhaps additional initiatives and policies by the city and state could be made in the woman’s name that raising public awareness while getting people more directly or actively engaged as they learn about the resources and tools available to riders and concerned citizens in the case they themselves witness or are need of preventing a violent assault while taking the bus or train. For example, perhaps more riders would like to learn more about the emergency intercoms, locations of the Help Points, how to alert a conductor of an emergency occurring in a subway car, how to stop an approaching train after a pedestrian may have fallen or pushed on the track or learning how best to stand and where, back against the column, one foot in front of the other, to prevent being pushed unexpectedly on the track themselves.

Also, on the topic of the likelihood that the victim may have also struggled with homelessness or housing instability perhaps more support and effort geared towards improving the quality of life and linking those in need to services from the DHS in areas where city officials expect or have reported a rise in crime involving the subway, including grand lacerny, vandalism and physical assault, as a way to ensure those in need of housing or shelter have much better options than the subway as a place to rest their heads and sleep safely and comfortably overnight without the worry of being predated on while unprotected and in a state of vulnerability by killers like SZC.

Incident and emergency preparedness at the MTA

If you experience an emergency that may involve the immediate safety of our customers or staff, please dial 911 and notify MTA staff as soon as possible.

new.mta.info

A weekend of violence on NYC's subways stokes fears about public safety

There have been twice as many homicides on NYC mass transit as this time in 2023. But, officials stress, such crimes are still very rare.

gothamist.com

Tragic twist in sickening murder of woman burned alive on NYC subway

It's the latest horrific twist in the sickening murder, allegedly by Guatemalan migrant Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, who appeared at Brooklyn Supreme Court charged with murder and arson on Tuesday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Safer Streets and Subways: Governor Hochul, MTA and Law Enforcement Officials Provide Update on Keeping New Yorkers Safe on the Subway Ahead of the Holidays

Governor Hochul briefed New Yorkers alongside MTA and law enforcement on efforts to increase safety within the subway system.

www.governor.ny.gov

Mayor Adams Releases New Report Detailing Success of Community-Driven Public Safety Strategies to Ki

To kick off

www.nyc.gov

 

[Betty P]

OMG that sounds horrific , that poor lady and and her loved ones must be devistated....im new to this sluthing thing, but i finally joined cause all my friends and family says id be a good detective...im 40years old i live in Newfoundland Canada and i have nothing but time on my hands and a high I.Q. score, so if there is anyway that i can help with east coast cold cases please let me know. And wish me luck with my help, i feel like this is my purpose in life, but its new to me so i dont even know how to look at case files yet. Lol

Welcome Casper McFadden!

 

[Marysmith]

My hope is that perhaps LE is able to obtain CCTV footage that depict a clear image of the victim long before her horrific murder, perhaps of one recording her walk on the streets above as she headed to the train station or while she passed the turnstiles, and are able to use that to ask around and find a friend, family member, former roommate, a DHS or social worker or caseworker, or an administrator or supervisor at a popular or well known or used homeless shelter, soup kitchen, pantry or community outreach organization who recognize and can identify her. Not only could this help restore the victim of her name and identity and potentially reunite her in some sense with her loved ones but such relations could also provide knowledge and insight into the woman’s life and further humanize her to LE and the public so that she is perceived as not only as a victim who suffered a horrific murder but as a person who lived a whole life, with things and people she loved and chose to explore, had her own thoughts, her own stories and experiences to tell and for each day she breathed and woke up had a day and a future before her vicious killer sickenly robbed that from her. I hope that in court she is still able to be given a voice and that both her name and the memory of her life becomes imprinted into her killer’s brain to the point he is haunted by them long after he is convicted and sentenced in court.

I noticed a lot of discussion about public safety and how the public response thinks or wonders how bystanders should respond following this terrible crime. Perhaps additional initiatives and policies by the city and state could be made in the woman’s name that raising public awareness while getting people more directly or actively engaged as they learn about the resources and tools available to riders and concerned citizens in the case they themselves witness or are need of preventing a violent assault while taking the bus or train. For example, perhaps more riders would like to learn more about the emergency intercoms, locations of the Help Points, how to alert a conductor of an emergency occurring in a subway car, how to stop an approaching train after a pedestrian may have fallen or pushed on the track or learning how best to stand and where, back against the column, one foot in front of the other, to prevent being pushed unexpectedly on the track themselves.

Also, on the topic of the likelihood that the victim may have also struggled with homelessness or housing instability perhaps more support and effort geared towards improving the quality of life and linking those in need to services from the DHS in areas where city officials expect or have reported a rise in crime involving the subway, including grand lacerny, vandalism and physical assault, as a way to ensure those in need of housing or shelter have much better options than the subway as a place to rest their heads and sleep safely and comfortably overnight without the worry of being predated on while unprotected and in a state of vulnerability by killers like SZC.

Incident and emergency preparedness at the MTA

If you experience an emergency that may involve the immediate safety of our customers or staff, please dial 911 and notify MTA staff as soon as possible.

new.mta.info

A weekend of violence on NYC's subways stokes fears about public safety

There have been twice as many homicides on NYC mass transit as this time in 2023. But, officials stress, such crimes are still very rare.

gothamist.com

Tragic twist in sickening murder of woman burned alive on NYC subway

It's the latest horrific twist in the sickening murder, allegedly by Guatemalan migrant Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, who appeared at Brooklyn Supreme Court charged with murder and arson on Tuesday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Safer Streets and Subways: Governor Hochul, MTA and Law Enforcement Officials Provide Update on Keeping New Yorkers Safe on the Subway Ahead of the Holidays

Governor Hochul briefed New Yorkers alongside MTA and law enforcement on efforts to increase safety within the subway system.

www.governor.ny.gov

Mayor Adams Releases New Report Detailing Success of Community-Driven Public Safety Strategies to Ki

To kick off

www.nyc.gov

Great ideas and initiative!

 

[Charlot123]

Anything.

Sorry, was she so burned that collecting DNA is impossible? Even from deep tissues? It points to an accelerant.

 

[Marysmith]

The horrific nature and location of this crime also somewhat reminded me of the tragic and brutal murder of 50 years-old Harry Kaufman, a NYC subway token clerk, who lost his life two weeks after his kiosk was deliberately set on fire on Nov. 26, 1995 after two to three assailants with flammable liquids while he was still inside. According to UPI, the father of two suffered third degree burns over 75% of his body. The arsonists were unknown to the victim, followed three such similar arson attacks, including the fire bombing of another station’s kiosk, and were inspired by the movie Money Train. Sadly Kaufman’s murderers were never caught though three young men were charged, arrested, convicted and sentenced for the crimes despite having solid alibis, being coerced to give false confessions, proof that witnesses who identified them had lied about their own whereabouts and the questionable integrity of the cops investigating of the case. These three men finally had their murder convictions overturned by a Brooklyn judge in 2022 after spending decades in prison protesting their innocence.

Burned New York subway clerk dies

A New York City subway clerk who was critically burned in an arson attack on his token kiosk last month died of the burns Sunday, hospital officials said. ...

www.upi.com

3 men cleared in 1995 subway clerk killing | FOX 5 New York

Prosecutors in Brooklyn have disavowed the convictions of three men who spent decades in prison for one of the most horrifying crimes of New York's violent 1990s — the killing of a clerk who was set on fire inside a subway token booth.

www.fox5ny.com

3 men cleared in 1995 killing of NYC subway token clerk

NEW YORK (AP) — After decades in prison, three men were cleared Friday in one of the most horrifying crimes of New York’s violent 1990s — the killing of a clerk who was set on fir…

www.news-herald.com

Oh wow. Have never heard of this horrible crime.

 

[airportwoman]

Anything.

Sorry, was she so burned that collecting DNA is impossible? Even from deep tissues? It points to an accelerant.

Or dental records, if they have an idea who she is and can locate them?

 

[jjenny]

Anything.

Sorry, was she so burned that collecting DNA is impossible? Even from deep tissues? It points to an accelerant.

If they have her DNA, that doesn't mean they can identify her. They would need to match the DNA they collected to something on file. And if she has no criminal record her DNA would not be on file.

 

[jjenny]

Or dental records, if they have an idea who she is and can locate them?

I don't think they have any idea who she is.