Kathy Hochul touts 'safer' subways just hours after Guatemalan immigrant burns woman alive on F train

On Sunday, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul was ripped on social media after bragging that the New York City subway system has become safer thanks to her efforts just hours after a Guatemalan man was arrested for allegedly burning a woman alive on a train in Brooklyn.

Hochul posted on X a claim that crime has decreased on subways since she deployed the National Guard to the lines and stations in March. Last week, Hochul added another 750 National Guard members to try and stop holiday crime.


She wrote at 3:40 pm, "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 [the NYPD] and [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up."

At one point, a community note was added to X the post from the New York governor, which stated, "A sleeping woman aboard a subway car has died after being intentionally set on fire at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station."

The statement was posted mere hours after an immigrant from Guatemala, 33-year-old Sebastin Zapeta, allegedly set a sleeping woman on fire on the F train to Brooklyn at the Stillwell Avenue station at around 7:30 am and watched her burn to death.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) wrote on X, “Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways ‘safer.’ She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. Has there ever been a more tone-deaf Governor in the history of New York?” It is rumored that Torres may be challenging Hochul for the governor’s mansion this election cycle.

https://twittter.com/RitchieTorres/status/1870967985344799102

Melissa DeRosa, who served as secretary under former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, wrote, “2 people were murdered in the subway today. The governor of the state of NY is a tourist who can’t even bother to read a newspaper while she’s in town."

The post sparked backlash from users on X, StopAntisemitism responded to Hochul, and said she needed “a new social media team."

Lori Mills, the vice chair of the Ventura County Republican Party, wrote, "You must have missed today’s news.”

Radio host Jesse Kelly wrote in response, “This is why you should never schedule tweets.”