The family of the informant is expressing regret, stating, “We don’t understand the police’s position,” after the reward for providing information leading to the arrest of a suspect in a deadly subway arson was denied. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) had been searching for Sebastian Zapeta immediately after he set a sleeping woman on fire on the F subway line on May 22, around 7:30 a.m.
Hours after the incident, three freshmen from Brooklyn High School, who were on the F train to Queens for a basketball game, spotted the suspect. They had seen the suspect’s image on the news and immediately recognized him. One of the students, identified only as “Kingson,” called 911 to report the sighting. Police responded to the call, arrested Zapeta, and brought the train to a stop at Herald Square.
Kingson and his friends were later commended by their local city council member for their quick action, and the three students were eager to split the $10,000 reward offered for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. However, the NYPD stated that the reward would not be paid because the students had called 911 rather than the Crime Stoppers hotline (800-577-8477), which is the designated number for reward-eligible tips.
The police explained, “The reward for providing information that leads to solving a case is only paid through cases reported to the hotline service operated with the support of the New York Police Foundation, and the final payment is determined through the foundation’s own review.” In response, the families of the students expressed their confusion and disappointment, saying, “If someone were to ask where to contact after an incident, everyone would think of 911,” and adding, “We do not understand the police’s position at all.”