According to sources, the illegal Guatemalan migrant accused of setting a straphanger on fire and gawking as she burned to death was deported before sneaking back into the US and the Big Apple shelter system.
The accused firebug, who has yet to be charged, first entered the US illegally at the Arizona border in 2018, but was apprehended just days later and returned home.
He later crossed the border again, avoiding federal agents and making his way north to the five boroughs, though it is unclear how long he stayed in the city before the horrific F train attack Sunday, according to sources.
What is certain is that by April 2023, he was staying at a Days Inn hotel on 36th Street that had been converted into a migrant shelter, the first of four tax-funded facilities in the city.
When he was issued a transit ticket in 2023, he provided an address for a shelter on Randall’s Island, according to the sources.
On Sunday, police said he was at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station, quietly watching the sleeping passenger he allegedly set on fire as she burned to death.
The Post obtained dramatic video of cops swarming the fire, with the migrant getting up and walking away.
But cops apprehended him and took him into custody.
According to law enforcement sources, the illegal firebug is being held pending the results of the victim’s autopsy.
Brooklyn prosecutors are now awaiting word on whether the flames caused the woman’s death, which could result in murder charges for the suspect.
“The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” said DA Eric Gonzalez in a statement.
“This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences,” according to the statement. “Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe on our subways, and we will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case.”
According to sources, the suspect appears to have no other criminal history.
