A woman who died after being set on fire on a New York City subway train has been identified as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam of Toms River, New Jersey. Kawam died from thermal and inhalation injuries and her death was ruled a homicide. Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen, has been charged with murder and arson in connection with the attack.
According to police, Zapeta allegedly lit Kawam’s clothes on fire using a lighter while she was dozing on a stationary train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn. Zapeta was arrested six hours later and has been identified as a Brooklyn man who entered the United States without authorization in 2018 and was subsequently deported to Guatemala. It is unclear when he re-entered the country.
There appears to have been no prior interaction between Zapeta and Kawam, who had a brief stint in New York City’s homeless shelter system, according to Mayor Eric Adams. Zapeta’s case will be handled by the US Department of Homeland Security, which will pursue removal proceedings against him whenever he is released from custody. If convicted, Zapeta could face a lengthy prison sentence.