Man accused of setting woman ablaze on NYC subway claims he was too drunk to remember incident
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The 33-year-old said he didn’t remember the incident after drinking alcohol earlier in the day. The man accused of setting a woman ablaze on the New York City subway has pleaded not guilty after claiming he was too drunk to remember committing the crime.
![[During questioning, Zapeta-Calil claimed he had no memory of the incident that shook New Yorkers.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/07/16/03921ce968ee42869220acf39d376068.jpg)
He went on to tell police he doesn’t “remember” the incident, noting he drank alcohol earlier in the day, according to CNN. “I am very sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to. But I really don’t know. I don’t know what happened, but I’m very sorry for that woman.”.
Prosecutors say Zapeta-Calil set Kawam on fire on a stopped F train at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station last month before fanning the flames with a shirt and sitting on a platform bench to watch the scene. Prosecutors also argue Zapeta-Calil confirmed to officers he was the man in surveillance photos and videos of the fire but said he drinks a lot of alcohol and did not recall what happened.
Zapeta-Calil, a Guatemalan citizen who authorities say entered the country illegally after being deported in 2018, faces multiple counts of murder as well as an arson charge. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. He was previously arraigned on a criminal complaint, but in New York, all felony cases require a grand jury indictment to proceed to trial unless a defendant waives that requirement.
