NEW YORK — A wake was held Thursday for the wife who was set on fire and killed on a New York City subway train last weekend.
Although police have not yet publicly identified the victim, the community in Coney Island, Brooklyn is working to honor her memory.
Civil rights and religious leaders, as well as several organizations including the Homeless Coalition and Passengers United, gathered at the Stillwell Avenue station to condemn the violence that unfolded on an F train Sunday morning.
“Her life mattered,” said the Rev. Kevin McCall. “Thank God they caught the person who did this. But it’s not just the person’s fault, it’s the system’s fault. The system failed.”
McCall is asking anyone who may know who she is to come forward.
‘She is so burned that the police cannot identify who she is [we are] If you visit New Yorkers, call the police if you know who she is. This could be your loved one,” McCall said.
What would have happened on Sunday
Investigators say 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan national who ICE officials say entered the U.S. illegally, used a lighter to set the sleeping woman’s clothes on fire. Police are still trying to determine a motive.
According to the criminal complaint Zapeta used a shirt to fan the flames as they engulfed the victim in seconds, killing her. An image appears showing the suspect sitting on a platform bench and watching the woman burn as an officer walks without realizing he is passing the suspect.
But that officer’s body camera made a clear image, which officials said led to an arrest a few hours later.
Zapeta is charged with murder and arson. He will appear in court again on Friday.
