New York police identify woman fatally burned on Brooklyn subway

BROOKLYN (CN) — New York Police announced on Tuesday that they have identified the woman who died after being set on fire while sleeping on a Coney Island-bound subway train on Dec. 22.

Police said the 57-year-old woman, Debrina Kawam, had a Toms River, New Jersey address.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that Kawam was briefly in New York’s homeless shelter system and that authorities had been in contact with her next of kin.

“Our hearts go out to the family, a horrific incident to have to live through,” Adams said. “It impacts on how New Yorkers feel. But 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. No matter where she lived that should not have happened.”

Authorities had previously said that the police, the medical examiner’s office and investigators were using forensics and video surveillance to identify the woman.

Prosecutors say Kawam was set on fire by Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who has been indicted on murder and arson charges. They say he set Kawam on fire while she was sleeping on an F train nearing the Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn. According to prosecutors, after Zapeta set her clothing on fire, he fanned the flames and watched her burn.

“These are significant counts. Murder in the first degree carries the possibility of life without parole, the most serious statute in New York state law,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonazalez said of the charges last week. “This was a malicious deed. A sleeping, vulnerable woman on our subway station.”

Zapeta has yet to enter a plea in the case. His indictment is expected to be unsealed on Jan. 7, when he is also scheduled to be arraigned.

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