New York Governor Kathy Hochul is facing criticism over an issue. “Tone Deaf” Post The publicity for safety on New York City's subways comes just hours after an illegal immigrant allegedly set a woman on fire and witnessed her burning to death.
“Governor Hochul, I'm sorry. There's nothing we can say in New York to fix this,” Tom Hochul, President-elect Trump's incoming border czar, told Democratic officials on “Fox & Friends” on Monday. He said this while criticizing his support. Sanctuary status in the Empire State.
In a Sunday X post about eight hours after the incident, Hochul claimed that crime on New York City's subways has decreased since the National Guard was brought in to alleviate the problem earlier this year. Hochul 750 National Guard troops dispatched Last week I went to the subway to curb holiday crime.
Trump's next border czar welcomes meeting with Mayor Eric Adams: 'New York is becoming much safer'
Incoming Trump Border Secretary Tom Homan criticized Governor Hochul and the Biden administration for their sanctuary policies and lax border policies. (Getty Images)
“In March, I took action to make the subway safer for the millions of people who ride it every day,” Hochul's post reads. “Since deploying @NationalGuardNY and adding cameras to every subway car to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts, crime is down and ridership is up,” she wrote. .
Fox News Digital previously reached out to Hochul's office for comment on the criticism, but there was no immediate response.
Homan recently traveled to the Big Apple to discuss illegal immigration crimes with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and placed some of the blame on the Biden administration for the federal government's lax immigration policies.
“This is another example of illegal aliens murdering American citizens. This incident now happens almost every day because we have historic numbers of criminal aliens walking the streets. “This administration's sanctuary jurisdictions and lax immigration policies are to blame,” he said.
NYPD arrests immigrant who set woman on fire on subway and watched her burn to death
New York City police are searching for a man suspected of setting fire to a sleeping woman on a Brooklyn subway on December 22, 2024. (New York City Police Department)
“ICE's hands are tied,” he continued. “Secretary Mayorkas has given them priority so they won’t even be able to arrest illegal aliens unless they are convicted of a serious crime. This is the responsibility of this administration because perhaps they can arrest them. ”
Officials said the person of interest has been identified as 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta. The suspect has not been identified, but a senior NYPD official told Fox News Digital that the suspect entered the United States illegally from Guatemala in 2018, during President Trump's first term.
The official added that he has no prior arrests in New York City and one previous arrest in Arizona.
The crime occurred around 7:30 a.m. at the Stilwell Avenue subway station in Coney Island, where an illegal immigrant approached a woman who was asleep on the subway, lit her with a lighter, set her clothes on fire, and destroyed her clothes. It is said that he was completely involved. Police Chief Jessica Tisch said it only lasted a few seconds.
In a post on X on Sunday night, Hochul declared that all subway crimes were “one too many” and praised NYPD officers for their swift action.
Officers saw and smelled smoke, investigated the situation and found a woman standing inside a car engulfed in flames. The flames were extinguished with the help of MTA personnel and fire extinguishers, and the victim was pronounced dead.
The suspect was found to have a lighter in his pocket and is currently in police custody.
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Fox News' Greg Wehner and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
