Authorities have identified the woman fatally set on fire aboard an F train in Brooklyn as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam from Toms River, New Jersey.
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On December 22, Kawam was sleeping on the subway at the Stillwell Avenue station around 7:30 a.m. when a man approached her, set her on fire, and then fled the scene. Despite the efforts of emergency responders and police, Kawam succumbed to her injuries, as reported by NBC News. During a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams expressed his condolences and acknowledged that Kawam had been registered with the homeless shelter system.
“Our hearts go out to the family. It’s a tragic reminder of the challenges many face in our city,” Adams said during the conference. Police arrested 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a Guatemalan citizen, in connection with Kawam’s murder on the same day. Subway riders spotted him just hours after the crime and alerted the authorities. The charges he faces include one count of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder, and one count of first-degree arson.
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Zapeta-Calil appeared in court on December 24, where he was taken into custody. The first-degree murder charge carries a possibility of life without parole. A grand jury indictment was announced.
