On December 22, a horrifying incident unfolded on a New York City subway train when a woman was fatally set on fire while she slept. The suspect, 33-year-old Sabastian Zapeta-Calil, was arrested shortly after the attack and is now facing murder charges.
Social media quickly became flooded with claims about the victim, with many identifying her as 29-year-old Amelia Carter. However, conflicting reports emerged, with some users on X (formerly Twitter) alleging that the image circulating was AI-generated and part of a cryptocurrency scam exploiting the tragedy for profit.
Raise your hand ✋️ if you demand the death penalty be issued to Sebastian Zepata for murdering Amelia Carter by setting her on fire pic.twitter.com/knBAsnqhwZ
— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) December 23, 2024
Authorities are yet to officially confirm the identity of the victim, further fueling speculation online. Some users claimed that “Amelia Carter” was on her way to visit her grandmother in Queens, while others suggested she was a University of Pennsylvania student.
Amelia Carter was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant on the NYC subway. The illegal migrant set her on fire while she was sleeping and watched as she burned to death.
Amelia Cater had a very bright future, being a graduate of SUNY purchase and obtaining her PHD from UPenn pic.twitter.com/xFDVibSAcd
— SV News (@semperveritasUS) December 23, 2024
Adding to the public outrage, a video surfaced showing an NYPD officer walking past the victim as she burned, seemingly without intervening. This footage has sparked widespread criticism of law enforcement’s perceived inaction during the critical moments of the attack.
According to police, the incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Stillwell Avenue Subway Station. The victim, whose identity remains officially unconfirmed, was asleep on a stationary F train when the suspect allegedly used a lighter to ignite her clothing.
After the attack, Zapeta-Calil reportedly remained at the scene, sitting on a platform bench. Body-worn cameras on responding officers captured clear footage of him, which was later released in a wanted flier. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed that the suspect “calmly walked up to the victim and used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim’s clothing.”
The woman was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. The incident has raised serious questions about subway safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement’s immediate response.
