Subway attacks: Man found with burns in NYC station week after woman burnt alive

Prosecutors have indicted Guatemalan citizen Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, for the alleged murder of an unknown woman on December 22, according to NBC News.

By DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD DECEMBER 28, 2024 10:08 Updated: DECEMBER 28, 2024 10:09

New York City Police Inspector John Codiglia directs commuters to the entrances of Penn Station in New York December 21, 2005. New York transit workers walked off the job for the first time in 25 years on Tuesday, stranding millions of people who rely on the bus and subway system each day. City offi (photo credit: KEITH BEDFORD/REUTERS)

A man was discovered with serious burns over his body on Friday evening in Penn Station, the NYPD told The Independent on Saturday. The discovery comes only a week after an unidentified woman was set alight and killed while traveling on the New York subway. 

While the 67-year-old male victim has survived his injuries and is now in stable condition at the Weill Cornell Medical Center, it follows another similar incident involving arson on a subway where the victim did not survive.

It is unclear if there are criminal elements involved in the case of the burned man, and investigations are ongoing.

Woman murdered while sleeping on subway

While little is known on the latest case of fire-related investigations, prosecutors have indicted Guatemalan citizen Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, for the alleged murder of an unknown woman on December 22, according to NBC News.

The woman was reportedly napping aboard the stationary F train at the Stillwell Avenue Subway Station when Zapeta-Calil allegedly set her alight. She was declared dead at the scene.

A man wanted for questioning by the New York Police Department (NYPD), in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire while she was sleeping on a stationary subway train, is seen in a combination of still images from surveillance video in New York City, U.S. December 22, 2024 (credit: NYPD/Handout via REUTERS)

A prosecutor, according to NBC News, claimed that after setting the woman on fire, Zapeta-Calil fanned the flames with his shirt.

Zapeta-Calil later told police that “he drinks a lot of liquor” and “doesn’t know what happened,” the prosecutor added.

The Brooklyn District Attorney's office announced a grand jury indictment in court on one count of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder, and one count of first-degree arson. Zapeta-Calil pled not guilty to the charges, according to court records.

"These are significant counts. Murder in the first degree carries the possibility of life without parole. It's the most serious statute in New York state law, and my office is very confident about the evidence in this case and our ability to hold Zapeta accountable for his dastardly deeds," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Friday. 

A vigil was held on Thursday in memory of the murdered woman, according to multiple reports. Officials believe she may have been homeless, and efforts are still being made to identify the victim.

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"Her body was badly burned, and so advanced fingerprinting efforts are being made, as well as advanced DNA evidence to identify her. We have made some progress in that area, but I'm not at liberty to get into specifics now," Gonzalez said. 

Zapeta-Calil reportedly entered the United States in 2018 but was returned to Guatemala days after his arrival. It is unknown when he illegally reentered the country, CBS News reported.