NEW YORK (AP) — The woman who died after being set on fire in a New York subway train earlier this month was a 57-year-old from New Jersey, New York City police announced Tuesday.
The woman, Debrina Kawam, was from Toms River, a township on the Jersey Shore, according to the NYPD. New York City Mayor Eric Adams added that Kawam had a “brief stint in our homeless shelter system,” though did not say when.
It appears Kawam recently moved to New York and had a very brief interaction with the city's outreach services, according to the New York City Department of Homeless Services.
The man accused of lighting her on fire on Dec. 22, Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was taken into custody hours after police disseminated images of a suspect in the shocking Sunday morning attack on a train stopped in Brooklyn's Coney Island. He has since been indicted on murder and arson charges.
Identifying the victim proved to be a challenge, and authorities said Friday they were still using forensics and video surveillance to trace her.
Adams said at an unrelated press briefing Tuesday that he didn't know more than Kawam's name and New Jersey address, but said authorities had been in contact with her next of kin.
“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.”
In an emailed statement, a New York City Department of Social Services spokesperson said the city's homelessness agency worked with partners to track down any information they could on the victim’s family.
“As we mourn this loss, we resolve to double down on our outreach efforts to reach and support New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness on city streets and subways and ensure they consistently access shelter services," the spokesperson said.
Authorities have said they don't believe Kawam and Zapeta knew each other. Federal immigration officials say Zapeta is from Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally. An address for him given by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support.
Prosecutors allege both Kawam and Zapeta were on the stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station when Zapeta approached a sleeping Kawam and set her clothing on fire. He then fanned the flames with a shirt, engulfing her in the blaze, before sitting on a platform bench and watching as she burned, prosecutors said.
Kawam was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zapeta was arrested later that day after police circulated images of a suspect and received a tip from a group of high school students.
Zapeta has yet to enter a plea in the case and remains jailed. He was not present at a court hearing Friday where his indictment was announced and his attorney declined to comment afterward.
Prosecutor Ari Rottenberg said at the hearing that Zapeta told police he drinks a lot of liquor and doesn’t know what happened. He did, however, identify himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit, Rottenberg said.
“This was a malicious deed,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said after the Friday hearing. ___ This story corrects Kawam's age based on updated information from the police. She was 57, not 61.
The Associated Press
