The NYPD has identified a 57-year-old Toms River, New Jersey, resident as the victim of a horrific Brooklyn subway attack on December 22. Debrina Kawam was fatally set on fire while sleeping on an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. The suspect, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, was arrested later that day after he was identified in surveillance footage.
Zapata, who allegedly used a lighter to set Kawam’s clothes on fire, did not know the victim, police said. He is charged with first-degree murder and arson and could be sentenced to life in prison without parole if convicted.
The medical examiner in the city confirmed the identity of the victim using advanced fingerprinting methods and DNA analysis. The victim’s body was severely burned; this delayed the identification process.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke about this tragedy, asserting that the concern is to show care for a vulnerable individual. “People shouldn’t be living in our subway system. They should be in a place of care,” stated Adams.
Zapeta, a Guatemalan national who was deported in 2018 but came back illegally, allegedly said he was drunk and did not know what happened. During his arraignment, prosecutors said he told them he knew it was him in the surveillance video.
Kawam had allegedly been a former cheerleader and was working for the chemical giant Merck, where she had been said to be battling financial problems for some time. A vigil had been held before her identity was known; she was honored.
The attack rekindled debate over the security of New York City’s subways, although crime trends for the most part remain in retreat. An assault that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called “one of the most depraved crimes” speaks to elements of the public safety and homeless situation besetting the city.
Zapata is due back in court on January 7.
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