On Tuesday, December 24, the name Amelia Carter began to trend online after several social media posts claimed she was the woman who was set on fire at a New York Subway on Sunday, December 22. The name was shared on social media after Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen who was in the US illegally, was charged with murder in the death of a woman set on fire in a New York subway car.
Several social media posts, including one that amassed over one million views, claimed Amelia Carter was the woman who was set on fire in a New York subway car. As officials have yet to identify the victim, social media posts identifying the woman went viral online.
One post from user Chicago1Ray, with over a million views, also posted a picture of Amelia Carter claiming she was the victim of the subway car incident. The post read:
“Raise your hand, if you demand the death penalty be issued to Sebastian Zepata for murdering Amelia Carter by setting her on fire.”
However, a follow-up post providing context to the tweet said the name, purporting to be a New York subway car fire victim, was fabricated by cryptocurrency scammers. The clarification said:
“Amelia Carter is a fabricated identity; the photo was generated with artificial intelligence to create a cryptocurrency scam.”
Another post alleged the image was generated through AI. It should be noted that officials have not identified the victim of the incident.
Amelia Carter trends online after New York subway car incident
Despite officials not identifying the victim, numerous social media posts shared and reiterated the name Amelia Carter as the victim of the New York subway car fire incident. Several social media users also claimed to have unearthed Carter’s identity, alleging she’s a 29-year-old graduate of SUNY Purchase and obtained her PhD from UPenn.
However, there’s no official statement verifying the veracity of the claims. Here’s what we know about the victim.
According to CNN and multiple reports, the unidentified victim was reportedly sitting across from the suspect in the subway car. Initial reports said the suspect, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, knew the victim. However, police have since clarified that the suspect and victim did not appear to know each other. They stated the suspect and victim also did not interact with each other.
The suspect was reportedly sitting across from the victim, who was asleep at the time of the incident. The suspect then approached the victim and lit her clothes and a blanket on fire, CNN reported, citing sources. It was an unprovoked incident.
Officials suspect the victim had mobility issues, as a walker was found at the scene. However, the victim's age was undisclosed. Police and other officials have not identified the woman.
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The suspect, who first illegally entered the US through Arizona in 2018, was reportedly deported back home to Guatemala days later, the New York Post reported. After deportation, he again illegally crossed the border.
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