Day: December 24, 2024

The alleged Brooklyn subway arsonist who burned a woman alive on a train car Sunday was arraigned Tuesday on first-degree murder charges at a hearing when even more disturbing details of the homicide were revealed.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, appeared before a Brooklyn judge on Dec. 24, again wearing a Tyvek suit after his clothing was taken as evidence for the Dec. 22 murder of a still unidentified woman. As of Tuesday night, detectives are still working to identify the female victim police say was burned so severely she was beyond recognition.

According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, the medical examiner has determined that her cause of death was a result of both thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.

Additionally, prosecutors revealed what many who watched the viral video footage already knew: after Zapeta-Calil allegedly set the woman on fire using a lighter, he then used a shirt to fan the flames in order to keep the fire going. 

He did not enter a plea during his arraignment.

“This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.

Despite sources reporting that an ID to a homeless shelter was found in his pocket upon his arrest, the Department of Homeless Sources refused to confirm if he stayed in a shelter, citing privacy concerns.

However, ICE confirmed that Zapeta-Calil is an immigrant who entered the U.S. illegally, and had been previously detained and deported in June 2018 before again illegally reentering the country.

Zapeta-Calil was spotted by teens on a Manhattan train Sunday afternoon, several hours after he allegedly caused the fire on the F train at the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island that morning.

The NYPD has also come under heavy criticism after a video appeared to show a cop walking by the woman engulfed in flames and not immediately jumping into action.

NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta defended the cop’s actions.

“They were trying to get fire extinguishers. I commend that one officer for staying there — [making] sure he kept the crime scene the way it’s supposed to be, [making] sure he kept an eye on what was going on. So I think he did his job perfectly,” Chief Gulotta said.

Zapeta-Calil is charged with first and second-degree murder, and arson. He has been held without bail, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole if convicted.

As the Brooklyn Public Library prepares to turn the page on 2024, it’s looking back on the last year in literature and taking stock of which books Brooklynites loved most. 

Locals checked out millions of books, electronic media, and more this year, according to BPL’s website, even as the library dealt with budget cuts and reduced operating hours. The borough’s most popular titles for adults reflected last year’s tastes, with some new additions. In 2024, readers were after romance novels, pop culture memoirs, and stories from both far-off lands and nearby neighborhoods.

“I am delighted to see the wide range of items New Yorkers are borrowing including stories about immigrants and outsiders, cities and small towns, friends, family and love,” said Nick Higgins, BPL’s chief librarian, in a statement. “Books play a critical role in everyday life — especially now — helping us to understand ourselves, one another, and the world around us.”

BPL’s Top Ten Adult Titles from 2024: 

• “Happy Place” by Emily Henry, a bestselling romance that follows newly-broken-up Harriet and Wyn as they pretend, for the sake of their friends, that they’re still together during an idyllic, important trip to coastal Maine. Henry’s title “Book Lovers” sat at #5 on BPL’s most-popular list in 2023. 
• “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin, a heart-wrenching look at a pair of lifelong friends as they move through life, loss, love, and videogames. This title was the most popular book across New York City’s three library systems in 2024, and ranked #3 for BPL in 2023. 
• “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros, a popular choice on literary TikTok. “Fourth Wing” follows a young woman, Violet, as she breaks from her quiet life in the face of a massive war and trains to become an elite dragon rider, and was a favorite among Brooklynites in 2023, too. 
• “The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears, a 2023 memoir by the pop sensation. For the first time, Spears shares the details of her “incredible journey” through massive fame, a controversial guardianship, and the public trial watched by the world. 
• “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy, another title appearing for the second time on BPL’s most-checked out list. In her memoir, child star McCurdy discusses her complicated relationship with her mother, child stardom, eating disorders, addiction, and how she took back control of her life. 
• “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus, a novel that tells the story of a chemist as she turns away from the lab and toward a career in television — teaching women the science of cooking. The novel inspired a 2023 TV show by the same name, and has been one of BPL’s most popular titles for the last two years. 
• “Yellowface” by R. F. Kuang, a witty, bestselling novel that follows a white author who adopts a pseudonym and a fake racial identity to publish a stolen novel after her own literary failures. 
• “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett, a “moving” novel about a mother who recalls a long-lost story from her past to her two daughters, who reexamine their own lives and the life of their mom. 
• “Pineapple Street” by Jenny Jackson, a sharp novel about three women hailing from one local Brooklyn Heights family. Jackson’s debut takes place in nabes familiar to Brooklynites and features some familiar – and unfamiliar — familial woes and triumphs. 
• “The Guest” by Emma Cline, another local-ish book by a local author. In “The Guest,” protagonist Alex, choosing not to return to New York City after a summer on Long Island, instead roams the island, often taking advantage of people for her own sake. 

Brooklyn’s teens were voracious readers this year, too. Teens and young adults dove into fantasy worlds spun by Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Ross, picked up beloved manga like “Demon Slayer,” and revisited an old YA classic, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins — perhaps inspired by the 2023 film based on a newer Collins book, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” 

BPL’s Top 10 YA Titles from 2024: 

• “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
•  “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas
• “Crown of Midnight” by Sarah J. Maas
• “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins
• “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins
• “If He Had Been With Me” by Laura Nowlin
• “Demon Slayer” by Koyoharu Gotoge
• “Divine Rivals: A Novel” by Rebecca Ross
• “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
• “Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman

Last but not least, there were the youngest readers in the borough, the kids. Brooklyn’s little ones enjoyed a lot of longtime classics this year, and a lot of touching graphic memoirs.

Jeff Kinney, the author of the beloved “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, which has 19 installations released since 2007, features prominently on the list, as does the “Dog Man” series by Dav Pilkey. Raina Telgemeier’s graphic memoirs, “Guts” and “Ghosts,” came ranked #6 and #8 on the list, respectively. 

BPL’s Top 10 Kids’ Titles of 2024: 

• “Diary of A Wimpy Kid: No Brainer” by Jeff Kinney
• “Cat Kid Comic Club #5: Influencers” by Dav Pilkey (words, illustrations, and artwork), with digital color by Jose Garibaldi & Wes Dzioba
• “Dog Man: Unleashed” by Dav Pilkey
• “Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea” by Dav Pilkey
• “Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöad” by Jeff Kinney
• “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier
• “Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties” by Dav Pilkey
• “Ghosts” by Raina Telgemeier
• “Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild” by Dav Pilkey
• “Dog Man: Mothering Heights” by Dav Pilkey

HELPING ALLEVIATE FOOD INSECURITY is also the topic of the New York Disaster Interfaith Services’ upcoming Winter 2025

The post Interfaith leaders’ summit aims to help feed New Yorkers undergoing financial crises appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

PERMITS HAVE BEEN FILED for a mixed-use building at 526 4th Avenue, near the intersection of 14th Street and 4th Avenue.

The post Permits filed for 4th Avenue building in Gowanus appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

THE NOURISH NEW YORK program has distributed 100 million meals to families across the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul

The post Nourish New York program has distributed 100 million meals appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

GREEK-AMERICAN KIDS got in in the holiday spirit at the Greek School of Plato in Bay Ridge-Fort Hamilton on Dec. 21.

The post Kala Christougenna! Greek Christmas celebrations at Brooklyn’s Greek School of Plato appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

AS THE MIGRANT SHELTER AT FLOYD BENNETT FIELD in southeastern Brooklyn is scheduled to close Jan. 15, many of the people housed

The post Floyd Bennett Field migrants face relief and worry about their futures appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

AFTER NEARLY 40 YEARS of supplying Americans with party supplies and decorations, Party City is closing down, including 3 Brooklyn stores.

The post Party City parties no more: company to shutter all stores nationwide, including three in Brooklyn appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.