On December 22, a horrific incident occurred on a New York City subway in which 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 was quickly flooded with claims about the victim, with many identifying her as 29-year-old Amelia Carter. However, conflicting reports emerged, with some users surfacing

Raise your hand ✋️ if you call for the death penalty to be imposed on Sebastian Zepata for the setting fire murder of Amelia Carter pic.twitter.com/knBAsnqhwZ

— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) December 23, 2024

Authorities have yet to officially confirm the victim’s identity, further fueling speculation online. Some users claimed “Amelia Carter” was on her way to visit her grandmother in Queens, while others suspected she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania.

Amelia Carter was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant on the New York subway. The illegal immigrant set fire to her while she was sleeping and watched her burn.

Amelia Cater had a very bright future, being a graduate of SUNY Purchase and receiving her doctorate from UPenn pic.twitter.com/xFDVibSAcd

— SV News (@semperveritasUS) December 23, 2024

Adding to public outrage, a video emerged showing an NYPD officer walking past the burning victim, seemingly without intervening. This footage has sparked widespread criticism of the perceived inaction of law enforcement at the critical moments of the attack.

According to police, the incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. Sunday at the Stillwell Avenue subway station. The victim, whose identity has not been officially confirmed, was sleeping in a stationary F train when the suspect allegedly used a lighter to set fire to her clothing.

Zapeta-Calil reportedly remained at the scene after the attack, sitting on a platform bench. Responding officers’ body-worn cameras captured clear footage of him, which was later released in a wanted flyer. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed that the suspect “calmly approached the victim and, we suspect, used a lighter to set fire to the victim’s clothing.”

Tragically, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident has raised serious questions about subway safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement’s immediate response.