Police have defended their response, beginning when officers patrolling the station smelled and saw smoke coming from the F train.

Police officials said a man considered a person of interest in Sunday’s deadly train fire was in custody hours after allegedly starting the blaze that killed a sleeping woman. The woman was discovered around 7:30 a.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was charged with murder and arson after a woman sleeping on the New York City subway was set on fire and died, police say.