The killing of a commuter aboard a North Carolina train is the latest act of violence affecting the United States’ public transit systems, as reports of other attacks continue to alarm riders.
On Aug. 22, Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, finished a night of work at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria when she boarded a train in Charlotte to make her way home. Surveillance video shows Zarutska, still in her uniform, taking a seat in front of a man wearing a red hoodie. Moments later, the man can be seen pulling out a knife and stabbing Zarutska to death.
Authorities have identified the suspected attacker as Decarlos Brown, who was arrested on a murder charge.
Sebastian Zapeta, accused of setting a woman on fire inside a New York City subway train, appears in court, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Curtis Means via Pool)
Zapeta allegedly remained on the platform and sat on a bench just outside the train as police attempted to extinguish the flames. Kawam was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zapeta, a previously deported illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was taken into custody hours after the attack. He faces one count of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and one count of arson.
“This was malicious. A sleeping, vulnerable woman on our subway system,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said at the time of the attack. “This act surprised many New Yorkers as they were getting ready to celebrate the holidays, but now New Yorkers are waking up and understanding that on the 22nd of this year, this happened. This was intentional and we hope to prove this.”
If convicted, Zapeta would face life without the possibility of parole on the first-degree murder charge, with the second-degree murder charge carrying a potential sentence of 25 years to life, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
