Grand jury upgrades charges against Sebastián Zapeta, 33, with possibility of life sentence without parole if convicted

A Brooklyn grand jury has voted to upgrade the charges against Sebastián Zapeta, the man accused of setting fire to a subway passenger last week, to first-degree murder, meaning that the 33-year suspect is facing life without parole if convicted.

“It’s the most serious statute in New York state law, and my office is very confident about the evidence in this case and our ability to hold Zapeta accountable,” Brooklyn district attorney Eric Gonzalez told reporters after a hearing in Brooklyn criminal court on Friday.