Three high school basketball players who helped capture a man accused of setting a woman on fire on a New York City subway have been denied the promised $10,000 reward — allegedly because they dialled 911 instead of the designated tip line, New York Post reports.
On December 22, the trio — consisting of Navid, Kingson, and Christos — spotted the suspect, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, on a Queens-bound F train.
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Hours earlier, Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old man, had allegedly set a homeless woman named Debbie Kawam, 57, on fire while she slept on the train.
Disturbing footage from the incident showed Zapeta-Calil watching the woman burn. According to police, the victim did not know him.
The teen heroes immediately took action, calling 911 to report their sighting. Shortly after, law enforcement stopped the train, and Zapeta-Calil was arrested. The NYPD released information, praising the teenagers for their bravery in helping to swiftly bring the suspect into custody. At the time, they made it clear that a reward was available for anyone who provided information leading to an arrest.
However, when the boys tried to claim the $10,000, they found themselves shut out. They were informed that their actions did not qualify because they did not use the designated Crime Stoppers tip line. Instead, they called 911, which police say doesn’t make them eligible for the cash.
Navid’s father, speaking anonymously, called the situation frustrating, pointing out that most people would naturally contact 911 in an emergency. “I think it’s such B.S. that you have to call this exact number. Most people call 911,” he told The Post. “It’s not like they did this for the reward, but it would be nice. This man committed a heinous crime, and these boys helped catch him right away.”
The NYPD, in response to inquiries, confirmed that the Crime Stoppers Program offers rewards only for anonymous tips provided to the 1-800-577-TIPS hotline, not to those who call 911.
Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, criticised the decision, calling it an example of bureaucratic red tape. “They make it impossible for you to collect because they run you through what I call the Bureaucratic Mumbo Jumbo,” he said. “What nonsense? Just admit you don’t want to pay out. You’ve got your man. That’s what counts, not what number you called.”
City Council Member Susan Zhuang, who recently honoured Kingson for his bravery, also weighed in, calling on the NYPD to rectify the situation. “These teens deserve the reward! Denying them is wrong. They did what any responsible citizen would do, and we should be encouraging behaviour like this,” she said. “The NYPD should immediately address this issue.”
The teen heroes had no idea about the reward until after the incident. They became excited when they realised they had helped identify the real suspect, only to have those hopes dashed when they were told they would not receive the promised money.
The families of the teens are coming together to fight for what they believe is rightly owed to the boys. Speaking anonymously, one of the parents plans to approach city officials and collaborate with others to pursue the reward.
“There’s strength in numbers,” Christos’ mother said. “We have every intention of pursuing this reward for all three boys. We’re incredibly proud of how carefully they clearly thought through their response in the moment. They did their civic duty, and we need to reward behaviour like that in the city and in the country. We won’t give up.”
Zapeta-Calil remains in custody, facing charges of first-degree murder and arson.
