Authorities have named the victim as Debrina Kawam, 61, from New Jersey, following a tragic subway incident in Brooklyn.
New York: So, there was this really awful incident on the subway. Police have identified the woman who tragically lost her life as 61-year-old Debrina Kawam from New Jersey.
It happened on December 22 at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn. Authorities say it was a random attack, which is just heartbreaking.
Her body was burned so badly that it took over a week for them to confirm who she was. A guy named Sebastian Zapeta, 33, has been charged with setting her on fire while she was asleep on the train.
Can you believe that? He just walked up to her with a lighter while she was completely unaware. They didn’t even know each other.
There’s video footage showing him fanning the flames instead of trying to put them out. After that, he just sat on a bench and watched the chaos unfold.
It was the smell of smoke that alerted the police and transit staff, who rushed to help. They found Zapeta chilling on the platform, completely oblivious to the horror he had caused.
Brooklyn’s district attorney, Eric Gonzalez, said identifying Kawam was a top priority so her family could be notified. Sadly, there was a lot of misinformation online during that time.
Despite the confusion, people came together to hold a vigil for her last week, which was really touching.
Zapeta has been indicted on multiple charges, including murder and arson. During a hearing, he claimed he was drunk and couldn’t remember anything, but he still recognized himself in the surveillance footage.
It turns out he had been deported from the U.S. back in 2018 and came back illegally. New York’s police commissioner called this one of the most depraved crimes imaginable.
Sadly, Kawam was pronounced dead at the scene. Zapeta is set to return to court on January 7. What a tragic situation.
