Crime
25-year-old Sebastian Zapeta arrested after setting sleeping NYC subway rider on fire
New York, NY – Law enforcement officials have announced the arrest of 25-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan national, in connection with a horrific incident where a sleeping woman was set on fire aboard a subway train.
The shocking act, which occurred on Sunday morning aboard a Coney Island-bound F train, left the woman dead in what police are describing as an appalling crime just days before Christmas.
Authorities revealed that Zapeta was apprehended following a tip from a vigilant civilian who recognized him on a train at the 34th Street station in Manhattan.
The witness flagged down officers, who quickly responded and detained Zapeta. Although Zapeta has not yet been formally charged, investigators have identified him as the primary suspect in the brutal attack.
The incident unfolded at approximately 7:30 a.m. on December 22, when the victim, a woman whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was allegedly set ablaze as she slept on the subway.
Disturbingly, sources indicate that Zapeta stood by and watched as the flames engulfed her. Despite attempts by authorities to manage the immediate aftermath, a video from the scene revealed police briefly speaking with a man matching Zapeta’s description before instructing him to leave the area.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is actively working to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the tragedy, while also determining Zapeta’s motivations.
This heinous act has sent shockwaves throughout the city, prompting heightened concerns about safety and security on public transit.
In a statement, an NYPD spokesperson acknowledged the swift action of the citizen who identified Zapeta, emphasizing the critical role that public vigilance can play in assisting law enforcement.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials urge anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward. Further updates, including formal charges against Zapeta, are expected as the case progresses.
This tragic event highlights the growing need for addressing violent crimes on New York City’s transit system and ensuring the safety of all passengers.
Crime
MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Shooting Suspect Identified as 48-Year-Old Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente
Authorities have identified the suspect connected to both the Brown University mass shooting in Rhode Island and the fatal shooting of MIT professor Dr. Nuno F. G. Loureiro in Massachusetts as Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, according to law enforcement sources.
Investigators say Neves-Valente was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside an Extra Space Storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, effectively ending a multistate manhunt.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that Neves-Valente was not a U.S. citizen, but a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
His last known address was in Miami, Florida. Police have stated that he took his own life, and the manner of death is being investigated in coordination with the medical examiner.
Sources familiar with the investigation say Neves-Valente had a storage unit registered in his name at the Salem facility, the same location where an abandoned vehicle linked to the case was previously discovered.
Surveillance video reportedly shows him entering the storage complex; however, investigators initially could not confirm whether he exited prior to being found deceased. Authorities have said agents had not entered the unit earlier in the operation as the scene remained part of an active investigation.
Investigators also revealed that the suspect used multiple sets of license plates on the same vehicle, a tactic authorities believe was intended to evade detection.
A witness-provided license plate in the Brown University shooting led investigators to trace the vehicle’s ownership and usage history, which ultimately connected it to the Brookline, Massachusetts homicide of Dr. Loureiro.
The vehicle was later located in Salem after a license plate reader flagged one of the associated plates, prompting a significant law enforcement response involving federal, state, and local agencies near the Salem, New Hampshire–Methuen, Massachusetts border.
During the search, Methuen police issued public alerts asking residents to report individuals who appeared out of place or were behaving suspiciously, while emphasizing that there was no ongoing threat to the general public.
Officials noted that the suspect appeared to have employed deliberate countermeasures, including changing plates across jurisdictions and attempting to avoid surveillance cameras and facial recognition systems.
Law enforcement sources further stated that Neves-Valente was originally from Portugal, the same country as Dr. Loureiro. Investigators are examining whether there is any significance to that shared background.
It is believed, though not yet publicly confirmed by authorities, that both men may have attended the same school in Lisbon earlier in their lives.
Additionally, Brown University officials have confirmed that Neves-Valente was previously a Brown student, attending the university from 2000 to 2001.
Records indicate he was enrolled exclusively in physics courses during that time.
The university believes he may have had classes in the same building where the shooting later occurred, though officials have stressed that this information is part of a broader factual review and not indicative of motive.
The Brown University shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. on Saturday, when a masked gunman dressed in black entered a lecture hall in the Barus and Holley Science Building and opened fire on students attending a final exam review session.
Two students were killed—MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, of Virginia, and Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore from Alabama. Nine others were wounded, with six remaining hospitalized in stable condition at the time of the last update.
The attack triggered a massive response involving approximately 400 law enforcement officers, who conducted extensive searches of campus buildings and surrounding neighborhoods.
Although a 24-year-old man was briefly detained as a person of interest, forensic testing later cleared him, and he was released.
Separately, authorities in Brookline, Massachusetts, responded Monday night to the home of Dr. Loureiro, an MIT professor, who had been shot and later died from his injuries early Tuesday morning.
While officials initially stated there appeared to be no connection between the two cases, subsequent investigation revealed that both incidents were linked to the same suspect and vehicle.
The FBI, along with state and local agencies, continues to review evidence, digital records, and the suspect’s movements in the days leading up to both attacks.
Officials have emphasized that while the suspect is deceased, the investigation remains active as authorities work to establish motive, timeline, and any additional relevant connections.