New York Governor Kathy Hochul She was criticized on social media on Sunday after she touted how safe New York City's subway system was thanks to her efforts — just hours after a woman was set on fire and burned to death on a train.
In an X post on Sunday, Hochul claimed that crime has decreased on Big Apple trains since she deployed the National Guard in March. Last week, Hoechul Sending 750 members of the National Guard to the subway in an effort to reduce holiday crime.
“In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who ride the trains every day,” Hochul's post said. “Since deploying @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime rates are down, and ridership is up.”
Hochul's post came about eight hours after a Guatemalan immigrant set a woman on fire and watched her burn to death on an F train in Brooklyn. The horrific crime was widely reported at the time the governor's tweet appeared.
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Kathy Hochul was widely criticized after she touted her efforts to make New York City's subways safe, just hours after an immigrant set a woman on fire. (Getty Images/NYPD)
The incident occurred at the Stillwell Avenue station around 7:30 a.m., according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
Many social media users responded to Hochul's tweet with graphic footage of the sacrifice. The tweet also briefly had an X Community note attached to it, which referenced the killing.
Melissa DeRosa, who worked as a secretary under former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, denounced the current governor's position and reported that someone else had been killed.
“Two people were killed on the subway today,” DeRosa wrote. “The governor of New York is a tourist who can't even be bothered to read a newspaper while she's in town.”
Police said the man threw a lighter at the woman, causing her to catch fire within a few seconds. (nypd)
The anti-Semitism advocacy group summoned the governor's communications staff, writing that Hochul “needs a new social media team.”
Lori Mills, vice chair of the Ventura County Republican Party, also responded to the ill-timed tweet.
“You must have missed today’s news,” Mills said bluntly to Heochul.
Sources identified the person of interest at Fox News Digital as 33-year-old Sebastín Zabieta, saying he entered the United States from Guatemala about a year ago, but whether he did so legally or illegally was unclear.
Fox News Digital has reached out to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more information about Zapeta.
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Members of the NYPD and National Guard conduct random bag searches in the New York City subway system on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)
Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital's Greg Weiner contributed to this report.
