The woman killed in a fiery attack on the NYC subway has been identified as Debrina Kawam, 61, of Toms River, New Jersey, police confirmed Tuesday.
Kawam was set on fire while sleeping on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn on Dec. 22. Police say 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who had entered the U.S. illegally, approached the woman and used a lighter to ignite her clothes. The woman was engulfed in flames and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zapeta has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as arson. He faces life imprisonment if convicted on the first-degree murder charge. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez described the crime as “senseless” and vowed to hold Zapeta accountable.
Mayor Eric Adams, in a statement, condemned the attack, saying it underscores the need for people experiencing homelessness to receive care, not live on the subway system. “No one should have to experience such a horrific act,” Adams said.
Zapeta is scheduled for arraignment on January 7, when the formal indictment will be unveiled. Authorities are also seeking additional federal charges.
Immigration officials say Zapeta was deported after entering the U.S. illegally in 2018 but later reentered the country.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.