NEW YORK CITY — The woman who was burned to death aboard an F train in Brooklyn last week has been identified as Debrina Kawam, a 61-year-old resident of Toms River, New Jersey, authorities confirmed on Sunday. Her family is from the Little Falls and Totowa area.
Police say Kawam was set on fire early on Dec. 22 while sleeping on a stationary subway car at the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island. She was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, a Guatemalan national previously deported from the United States, was arrested and later indicted for the attack. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder, and one count of arson. Officials have not disclosed a motive or details of the suspect’s mental state.
Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick issued a harsh response when learning the news of the heinous murder of one of his fellow residents.
“The states of New York and New Jersey need to bring back the death penalty,” Rodrick said. “We should at least be able to have the death penalty for those who are caught on video committing these heinous murders. People convicted of these types of crimes should be put down like a rabid dog! People like that cannot be rehabilitated.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban described the attack as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit.” Zapeta reportedly fled the scene before being apprehended later in connection with the crime.
The incident unfolded just hours before New York Governor Kathy Hochul publicly praised her administration’s efforts to bolster subway safety. “We are continuing to surge personnel and resources to make our subways safer,” Hochul said in a subsequent statement, acknowledging the need to address ongoing concerns despite a reported decline in subway crime.