NYC Subway Murder: Suspect Charged for Setting Woman on Fire
The suspect, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, has been charged with murder in the death of 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, who was set on fire on a New York City subway train on December 22. According to court documents, Zapeta-Calil repeatedly told detectives he had no memory of the attack, but later identified himself in surveillance video footage, saying “Oh, damn, that’s me.”
Kawam, a resident of New Jersey, died from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation after being set on fire by a person who approached her on an F train and used a lighter to ignite her clothes and blanket. The attack has sparked fears about safety in the city’s subways and beyond, following a series of high-profile violent incidents in recent years.
Zapeta-Calil, an undocumented migrant from Guatemala, was arrested after a group of high school students recognized him from surveillance footage and reported it to police. He was found with a lighter in his pocket and was previously deported in 2018.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack “heinous and inhumane” and vowed to seek the “severest punishment” for Zapeta-Calil. If convicted of first-degree murder, Zapeta-Calil faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.
The incident has left Kawam’s loved ones and the broader community reeling, and Zapeta-Calil’s defense claims that he sometimes drinks and loses his memory of events have raised questions about the credibility of his account. The case is ongoing, with Zapeta-Calil’s lawyer yet to comment on the allegations.