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

[Charlot123]

He was sitting there watching it. Then he noticed people were taking a video. Then he got up and went to her and started to fan the flames (which was only going to make the fire worse). I don't see anything to suggest his intentions were not to kill her. He wasn't doing anything that could actually put out the fire. He was in fact making it worse by fanning it.

I am sorry as I didn’t watch it. Were people taking video inside the train or outside?

 

[jjenny]

I am sorry as I didn’t watch it. Were people taking video inside the train or outside?

Outside.

 

[Charlot123]

This is a truly horrific situation. One really needs to find out what was the poor woman’s name. To look through CCTVs, or via DNA testing. The fact that no one is missing her can mean anything, including the fact that she was not living in a shelter. Perhaps simply a woman living alone, maybe with animals.

 

[Sweeper2000]

He was sitting there watching it. Then he noticed people were taking a video. Then he got up and went to her and started to fan the flames (which was only going to make the fire worse). I don't see anything to suggest his intentions were not to kill her. He wasn't doing anything that could actually put out the fire. He was in fact making it worse by fanning it.

I do think he was trying to put it out even if it is in a way that makes it worse. You can see he tries to get closer to presumably have more impact on teh fire but is pushed away by heat and smoke. It's also his jumper he is risking by doing that. I honestly don't think he knew how quickly she would go up, was seconds. I think he was drunk, thought waking her up with fire would be an interesting spectacle and it went seriously wrong too quickly. The alcohol delayed his reaction in attempting to put it out. I don't think many people would anticipate that someone would die by setting their clothes on fire thus the intent is to wound but not to kill. Or indeed that a person would be fully engulfed in flame a few seconds after lighting them.

I know I wouldn't and I have lit a friends clothes on fire using deodorant. He was wearing jeans though, I wouldn't light polyester. My expectation was that he would jump up and put it out immediately which he did also that the flame would extinguish more or less immediately which it did. If it had of lit his clothes I would have literally put it out with my hand.

 

[Fika]

That is horrific I honestly have no words.
This poor woman. Apparently she was homeless as this was not hard enough she was burned alive . What is wrong with people? How can anyone do this.

Clothing shouldn’t be so easily flammable imo

 

[Sweeper2000]

Does anyone have a link to the video?

It's on x. Prepare yourself it really is horrible. Just use the search option.

 

[Sweeper2000]

He was sitting there watching it. Then he noticed people were taking a video. Then he got up and went to her and started to fan the flames (which was only going to make the fire worse). I don't see anything to suggest his intentions were not to kill her. He wasn't doing anything that could actually put out the fire. He was in fact making it worse by fanning it.

I don't think it will change the sentence or indeed the charge but I don't think he was trying to kill her. Maybe was indifferent to the result but that's maybe not true if he was indeed trying to put teh fire out.

 

[jjenny]

I don't think it will change the sentence or indeed the charge but I don't think he was trying to kill her. Maybe was indifferent to the result but that's maybe not true if he was indeed trying to put teh fire out.

Fanning the flames is not going to put the fire out. It's going to do the opposite. Regardless, he was sitting and watching af first, but people behind him were taking a video. I believe he noticed that and pretended to be helping. Only it was not helpful at all. Fanning the fire provides it with more oxygen and makes it worse.

 

[Sweeper2000]

Fanning the flames is not going to put the fire out. It's going to do the opposite. Regardless, he was sitting and watching af first, but people behind him were taking a video. I believe he noticed that and pretended to be helping. Only it was not helpful at all. Fanning the fire provides it with more oxygen and makes it worse.

Oh I know that but did he? I don't think he did. Why risk his jumper if he wanted to kill this already seriously injured individual? Why risk getting hurt if he wanted her dead when she is already fully on fire? I think he was trying to slap the flames with his jumper not just push more oxygen at her hence why he tried to get closer and got pushed back. If he was fanning it he would just stay at a comfortable distance and wave the jumper but it seems he is indeed trying to slap the flames or in other words smother them.

 

[jjenny]

Oh I know that but did he? I don't think he did. Why risk his jumper if he wanted to kill this already seriously injured individual? Why risk getting hurt if he wanted her dead when she is already fully on fire? I think he was trying to slap the flames with his jumper not just push more oxygen at her hence why he tried to get closer and got pushed back. If he was fanning it he would just stay at a comfortable distance and wave the jumper but it seems he is indeed trying to slap the flames or in other words smother them.

I think he was pretending to be helping her after he saw that people were taking a video. Because prior to getting up and fanning her he was sitting watching her being on fire. People behind him were taking a video and making loud comments. And that's when he got up and went to fan the flames. And fanning the flame isn't helpful whatsoever. It makes it worse.

 

[Sweeper2000]

I think he was pretending to be helping her after he saw that people were taking a video. Because prior to getting up and fanning her he was sitting watching her being on fire. People behind him were taking a video and making loud comments. And that's when he got up and went to fan the flames. And fanning the flame isn't helpful whatsoever. It makes it worse.

I know but I don't think his intent was to "fan the flames" I think his intent was to smother the flames and that's why he moves closer after a initial attempt and tries to make contact with teh fire using his jumper and presumably smother the flames. If he wanted more fire why not just throw the jumper or other stuff over her? Thus adding more fuel.

I am almost certain he is heavily drunk you can see him staggering to get to her after getting off the bench. I believe he lit the fire so he can watch teh spectacle in the same way other folk have been set on fire.

Man, 24, who set sleeping homeless man on fire to 'to show off' jailed

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Montel Nowhia-Job, 24, was jailed for five years at Southwark Crown Court after setting two homeless men on fire and causing 'severe psychological damage' to the victims

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[jjenny]

I can't read his mind but he was indeed fanning the flames. Prosecutor called it "fanning the flames." Reading this he might have done it inside as well, before she became engulfed?

“(He) began fanning the fire using a shirt. The deceased became entirely engulfed in flames. The defendant then stepped out of the train onto a platform and continued fanning the flames with a shirt,” Rottenberg said in court."

Migrant drunkenly fanned flames after torching homeless woman on Brooklyn subway: D.A.

Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan migrant living in a Brooklyn men’s shelter, made his first court appearance Tuesday to face murder charges.

www.bostonherald.com

 

[Sweeper2000]

I can't read his mind but he was indeed fanning the flames. Prosecutor called it "fanning the flames." Reading this he might have done it inside as well, before she became engulfed?

“(He) began fanning the fire using a shirt. The deceased became entirely engulfed in flames. The defendant then stepped out of the train onto a platform and continued fanning the flames with a shirt,” Rottenberg said in court."

Migrant drunkenly fanned flames after torching homeless woman on Brooklyn subway: D.A.

Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan migrant living in a Brooklyn men’s shelter, made his first court appearance Tuesday to face murder charges.

www.bostonherald.com

Oh damnnnnn that changes it. The article I read the pictures suggested he lit her jacket and she just went up in flames in seconds.

Poor woman. That pushes it to intent to murder or seriously harm indeed.

I would hesitate to place too much emphasis on the truth in a prosecutors words though, their job is to maximise. his defence will do he opposite within believability which is basically to minimise. Obviously guilty so no point saying he didn't have anything to do with it. Better option is to say he basically did it for a laugh and it went wrong. So it's not murder in the first degree like tying them up and shooting then burying them which is cold.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

I keep looking for info on the poor victim and so far they have no identity or info on her. I'm sure there is video of her entering the train so they should have a decent photo of her. I'll keep checking. Meanwhile, I hope they lock up her killer forever.

 

[KooshBall]

I assumed that every adult knows that fanning a flame will increase a fire. Is that not common knowledge?

 

[nao]

I assumed that every adult knows that fanning a flame will increase a fire. Is that not common knowledge?

Moo..I have blown out little fires on my stove. Depends how intense the fire is. I wouldn't rely on common knowledge, kitchen fires often get out of control by lack of knowledge. ..moo

 

[Fika]

I assumed that every adult knows that fanning a flame will increase a fire. Is that not common knowledge?

IMO many people don’t know this. A lot of fires get out of control because people don’t know what to do or do it worse by for example fanning flames.

 

[Charlot123]

Oh I know that but did he? I don't think he did. Why risk his jumper if he wanted to kill this already seriously injured individual? Why risk getting hurt if he wanted her dead when she is already fully on fire? I think he was trying to slap the flames with his jumper not just push more oxygen at her hence why he tried to get closer and got pushed back. If he was fanning it he would just stay at a comfortable distance and wave the jumper but it seems he is indeed trying to slap the flames or in other words smother them.

@Sweeper2000 , we don’t know what he wanted. We know that he set probably old, probably homeless woman on fire. I personally think he may have arsonist tendencies and being drunk disinhibited him, but he is a horrible danger to the community. I hope people watching it first called 911 before they started making a video.

 

[Sweeper2000]

@Sweeper2000 , we don’t know what he wanted. We know that he set probably old, probably homeless woman on fire. I personally think he may have arsonist tendencies and being drunk disinhibited him, but he is a horrible danger to the community. I hope people watching it first called 911 before they started making a video.

Don't get me wrong. Nothing I said lessens the severity of his actions. Yeh I'm sure drink played a role here.

 

[jjenny]

@Sweeper2000 , we don’t know what he wanted. We know that he set probably old, probably homeless woman on fire. I personally think he may have arsonist tendencies and being drunk disinhibited him, but he is a horrible danger to the community. I hope people watching it first called 911 before they started making a video.

They should check to see if there are any un-explained arsons in places that he was around.