Authorities in New York City have identified the woman set on fire and killed in a horrific attack on a Brooklyn subway last week.
Debrina Kawam, 57, of New Jersey, was named as the victim of the seemingly random assault that took place on 22 December. Her body was burned beyond recognition.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, has been charged with starting the fire using a lighter while Ms Kawam was asleep. Authorities allege that he fanned the flames with a shirt and watched the blaze grow from a bench outside the subway car.
Last week, a grand jury indicted Mr Zapeta on four counts of murder and one count of arson. Prosecutors say he claims to have no memory of the incident.
Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, stated the cause of death was ruled as “thermal and inhalational injuries.” She added, “The identity was confirmed by the medical examiner yesterday through fingerprint analysis, following a multi-agency effort with our partners in law enforcement.”
It took over a week for authorities to identify Ms Kawam’s remains.
Speaking at a press conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed that Ms Kawam had recently stayed at a city homeless shelter. He remarked, “It really reinforces what I’ve been saying, people should not be living on our subway system, they should be in a place of care. And no matter where she lived, that should not have happened.”
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez emphasised the investigative priority of identifying Ms Kawam and notifying her family. “It’s a priority for me, for my office, for the police department to identify this woman,” he said.
In the days following the attack, unverified online claims and a fabricated AI-generated image of the victim spread on social media. Despite this, support poured in for Ms Kawam, including a vigil held in her memory while she remained unidentified.
According to police, Ms Kawam was motionless and appeared to be asleep on a stationary subway train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station early on 22 December. Mr Zapeta allegedly approached her with a lighter. Authorities believe the two were strangers and had no interaction before the attack.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch recounted how the smell of smoke drew officers and Metropolitan Transit Authority staff to the scene. They managed to extinguish the fire, but Ms Kawam was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car,” Ms Tisch said. She described the crime as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.”
Prosecutor Ari Rottenberg told the court on Tuesday that Mr Zapeta admitted to drinking heavily and claimed he could not recall the incident. However, he reportedly identified himself in surveillance footage showing the fire being lit.
Immigration authorities confirmed that Mr Zapeta, originally from Guatemala, had been deported from the United States in 2018 and re-entered the country illegally.
Mr Zapeta is scheduled to appear in court again on 7 January.
The tragedy has reignited concerns over safety on New York City’s subway system. While crime rates have decreased, recent violent incidents, including an attack on Tuesday where a man was pushed onto the tracks in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, continue to alarm commuters.
The victim in that incident, who remains unidentified, was hospitalised with a head injury. Police have since detained a suspect, local media reported.
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