The vigilante group known as the Guardian Angels announced on Sunday that they will be making a return to NYC subways after a woman's murder.

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

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Guardian Angels returning to patrol NYC subways after woman’s murder

Dec 30, 2024

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

The volunteer vigilante group known as the Guardian Angels is returning to the New York City subway system. The move comes in the wake of a woman’s death after she was lit on fire days before Christmas.

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Founder Curtis Sliwa told the New York Post on Sunday, Dec. 29, since the woman’s murder, “hundreds of citizens” have asked to join the ranks of the Guardian Angels.

He said the squad is planning to increase its ranks. It aims to reach levels not seen since 1979. At that time, the Guardian Angels grew from just 13 members to 1,000 members.

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Now, the Guardian Angels has around 150 members.

The Guardian Angels plans to focus on performing wellness checks on homeless individuals and people with mental health issues. The group will give water to people in need and report any problems to New York City Police.

“We’ll obviously make sure that that train is stopped and that the police respond and that we keep order in the car, so that nobody gets hurt, including the emotionally disturbed person or the homeless person,” Sliwa told the New York Post.

The Guardian Angels reportedly last patrolled the subway cars in New York City during 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, members of the Asian community were experiencing targeted attacks.

The woman set on fire last week remains unidentified. Police say a man they’ve identified as Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, who is from Guatemala and was living illegally in New York, committed the act. They said he lit her on fire while she slept in a subway car.

Police later arrested and charged Zapeta-Calil in connection with the murder of the woman.

Some bystanders filmed the woman while she burned alive but no one got involved.

Sliwa said the lack of action from bystanders during the incident is one of the factors motivating the Guardian Angels to make a return.

Sliwa blames citizen inaction on the so-called “Daniel Penny Effect.”

“Unfortunately, the ‘Daniel Penny Effect’ has frozen them,” Sliwa told the New York Post. “They’re not going to get involved. I’ve seen grown men who normally might have gotten involved. They’re just not getting involved any longer.”

Sliwa claims another issue is the lack of law enforcement patrolling the subway.

A representative for New York City Mayor Eric Adams struck back at Sliwa’s remarks.

The spokesperson called Sliwa’s announced plans “meaningless stunts” and said the city “remains focused on real solutions.”

The mayor’s office notes that New York City is deploying “1,000 police officers per day to subways.” However, the office acknowledged that even with these steps, “there’s still more work to be done.”

Guardian Angels members are no strangers to criticism.

Earlier this year, New York authorities investigated a confrontation between the group and a man. The Guardian Angels wrongly accused him of illegally living in the country. The group said he was caught shoplifting during a live interview.

It later turned out the man roughed up by the Guardian Angels was from the Bronx. There was no evidence to support allegations of shoplifting.

Tags: Crime, Death, Eric Adams, Homicide, Kathy Hochul, Murder, New York, New York City, subway

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE VOLUNTEER VIGILANTE GROUP KNOWN AS THE GUARDIAN ANGELS ARE RETURNING TO THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY SYSTEM.

THE MOVE COMES IN THE WAKE OF A WOMAN’S DEATH AFTER SHE WAS LIT ON FIRE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

FOUNDER CURTIS SLIWA [SLEE-WUH] TELLING THE NEW YORK POST SUNDAY SINCE THE WOMAN’S MURDER, “HUNDREDS OF CITIZENS” HAVE ASKED TO JOIN THE GUARDIAN ANGELS.

HE SAYS THE SQUAD IS PLANNING TO INCREASE ITS RANKS BACK TO LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE 1979 WHEN IT GREW FROM 13 MEMBERS TO ONE THOUSAND.

CURRENTLY, THE SQUAD HAS AROUND 150 MEMBERS.

THE ANGEL’S STRATEGY WILL FOCUS ON PERFORMING WELLNESS CHECKS ON HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

THE GROUP WILL PROVIDE WATER TO INDIVIDUALS IN NEED AND REPORT PROBLEMS TO NEW YORK POLICE.

[CURTIS SLIWA]

WE’LL OBVIOUSLY MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRAIN IS STOPPED AND THAT THE POLICE RESPOND AND THAT WE KEEP ORDER IN THE THE, IN THE CAR SO THAT NOBODY GETS HURT, INCLUDING THE EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED PERSON OR THE HOMELESS PERSON.

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

ANGELS LAST PATROLLED SUBWAY CARS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WHEN MEMBERS OF THE ASIAN COMMUNITY EXPERIENCED TARGETED ATTACKS.

THE WOMAN SET ON FIRE LAST WEEK, WHO IS NOT YET IDENTIFIED, WAS LIT ON FIRE WHILE SHE SLEPT IN A SUBWAY CAR.

POLICE LATER ARRESTED AND CHARGED SEBASTIAN ZAPETA–CALIL, WHO IS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT FROM GUATEMALA, IN CONNECTION WITH THE MURDER.

SOME BYSTANDERS FILMED THE WOMAN WHILE SHE BURNED ALIVE BUT NO ONE GOT INVOLVED.

SLIWA SAYS LACK OF ACTION FROM BYSTANDERS TO THE CRIME IS ONE OF THE FACTORS MOTIVATING THE GUARDIAN ANGELS TO MAKE A RETURN.

BLAMING CITIZEN INACTION ON THE SO-CALLED “DANIEL PENNY EFFECT.”

[CURTIS SLIWA]

“UNFORTUNATELY, THE DANIEL PENNY EFFECT HAS FROZEN THEM. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO GET INVOLVED. I’VE SEEN GROWN MEN WHO NORMALLY MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED. THEY’RE JUST NOT GETTING INVOLVED ANY LONGER.

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

SLIWA CLAIMS ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE LACK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PATROLLING THE SUBWAY.

A REPRESENTATIVE FOR MAYOR ERIC ADAMS STRUCK BACK AT HIS REMARKS.

CALLING SLIWA’S ANNOUNCED PLANS “MEANINGLESS STUNTS” AND SAYING THE CITY “REMAINS FOCUSED ON REAL SOLUTIONS.”

THE MAYOR’S OFFICE NOTES THE CITY IS DEPLOYING, “ONE-THOUSAND POLICE OFFICERS PER DAY TO SUBWAYS” BUT SAYS EVEN WITH THESE STEPS THEY ACKNOWLEDGE “THERE’S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE.”

THE GUARDIAN ANGELS ARE NO STRANGERS TO CRITICISM – EARLIER THIS YEAR NEW YORK AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATED A CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE GROUP AND A MAN THEY WRONGLY ACCUSED OF BEING AN UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANT WHO THEY SAID WAS CAUGHT SHOPLIFTING DURING A LIVE INTERVIEW.

IT LATER TURNED OUT THE MAN ROUGHED UP BY THE GROUP WAS A NEW YORKER FROM THE BRONX. AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ALLEGATIONS OF SHOPLIFTING.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.