Deadly arson attack prompts Guardian Angels to patrol New York City subway

The Guardian Angels, a volunteer safety group, pledged Sunday to patrol the New York City subway system following the horrific death of an unidentified woman.

Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels' founder, stated that the group will once again return to the subway to protect straphangers amid an increase in violent crime.

'It was an example of people just not getting involved.'

The squad got its start in 1979 patrolling the transit system. He pledged that the group would increase its presence and training, as it did decades earlier.

"We went from 13 to 1,000 [members] back then within a period of a year," Sliwa told the New York Post. "Because the need was there. The need is here now once again. We're going to step up. We're going to make sure we have a visual presence, just like we had in the '70s, '80s, and '90s."

"We're covering the actual trains from front to back, walking through the trains and making sure that everything is okay," he said. "We're doing this constantly now. Starting today, that's going to be our complete focus because the subways are out of control."

Sliwa told the Post that the Guardian Angels will conduct wellness checks on homeless people and provide them with water. He noted that any observed issues will be reported to the New York Police Department.

He explained that "hundreds of citizens" have requested the Guardian Angels' help on the subway system after an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, allegedly set a woman on fire while riding the subway. The deadly attack reportedly appeared to be unprovoked. Zapeta-Calil was previously deported in 2018 but re-entered the country at an unknown later date.

"There's so many trains that come in and out of here," Sliwa stated. "It's the perfect place because it reminds people that nobody did anything a week ago. Nobody intervened. Nobody pointed to the cops and said, 'This is the guy.' Even the cops didn't do anything."

"It was an example of people just not getting involved," he continued. "And we're here to say, 'You see something, you say something.' You gotta do something."

Despite the apparent increase in violent crime in the city and particularly in the subway system, local leaders continue to claim that they have made headway in making public transit safer.

The same day the woman was brutally attacked, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) issued a tone-deaf statement on X, reading, "In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day."

"Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up," she claimed.

Sliwa told the Post that crime is a problem in the city's subway system partly because law enforcement officers are not actively patrolling the trains.

"We're now back to where we were when I started the group in 1979 on the subways. It's gone full-circle. I've never seen it this bad. Never," he remarked.

A Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker similarly noted the lack of police presence.

"It won't get fixed overnight, but, yeah, it sounds good," the worker told the Post, referring to the Guardian Angels' plan. "I think it'll help. I don't think the cops downstairs are going to like it, but yeah. I don't know if you've noticed, but there are no cops up here."

New York City Democrat Mayor Eric Adams' office called the Guardian Angels' announcement a "meaningless stunt."

Kayla Mamalek, a representative for Adams, told the Post, "Mayor Adams is committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers, which is why he frequently rides the subway to speak directly with everyday riders about how we can make it safer."

"The mayor surged 1,000 police officers per day into the subways, has brought down overall crime and transit crime, delivering real action — not theatrics — but he knows there's still more work to be done," she said.

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