New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was criticized on social media for sharing a post about improving subway safety on the same day a woman was set on fire. A Guatemalan migrant was arrested for allegedly setting fire to a sleeping subway driver in Brooklyn on Sunday morning, December 22nd. The suspect, Sebastian Zapeta, allegedly watched the innocent victim burn.

The police commissioner described the incident as “one of the worst crimes that a human being can ever commit.” The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch reportedly said the horrific crime “cost the life of an innocent New Yorker.”

“This post is so tone deaf”

That same day, Hochul posted on Instagram: “In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who ride the trains every day.” Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @’s safety efforts NYPD and @MTA and installing cameras in all subway cars, crime has decreased and ridership has increased.

Netizens criticized Hochul in the comments section of the post, with one user saying: “Um, did she check the news today?” “This post is so tone deaf – on the same day a woman was burned alive on the F train. are you serious????” One user said, while another commented: “Someone was literally burned alive today but okay.”

“Governor Hochul, a female driver on the F train was set on fire and died. “What the hell is going on?!?” wrote one user. “Wasn’t a woman set on fire today? You have the courage to say it’s safe. Sorry Kathy, your private subway car locked down by your security doesn’t count…” one said, while another wrote: “Please resign, leave New York and never enter again politics.”

At a press conference, Tisch described the heinous incident as reported by the New York Post: “As the train pulled into the station, the suspect calmly walked up to the victim, who was sitting at the end of a subway car… and used, we believe , a lighter to set fire to the victim’s clothing, which was completely consumed within seconds.”

Patrol officers smelled the smoke and followed, only to discover the woman engulfed in flames. They put out the fire, but the woman died at the scene.

Zapeta, 33, reportedly came to the United States from Guatemala in 2018. When he was picked up by police, a lighter was found in his pocket. It is believed he used a lighter to set fire to the woman’s clothing.