In a tragic incident that shook New York City, a 61-year-old woman from New Jersey, identified as Debrina Kawam of Toms River, was brutally burned alive on a subway train in Brooklyn. The authorities had difficulty identifying her due to the severe burns she sustained. The exact cause of her death remains undisclosed by the NYPD.
Reports suggest that Debrina Kawam might have been homeless at the time of the horrific incident, although this information could not be confirmed by the police. Following the attack, Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old immigrant from Guatemala who had been deported previously, was swiftly arrested and charged with murder and arson related to the case.
The surveillance footage revealed how Zapeta approached the motionless woman on the F train at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station and callously set her ablaze using a lighter. Despite the swift efforts to extinguish the flames by officers and transit workers at the scene, Debrina Kawam tragically lost her life.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned this heinous act as intentional malice towards an unsuspecting woman in a vulnerable state on public transport. Mayor Eric Adams has taken steps for possible federal charges against Zapeta under arson laws following his previous deportation and re-entry into the United States.
The city mourns this senseless tragedy that unfolded during what should have been a festive season for all New Yorkers but now stands as a stark reminder of such cruel acts happening amidst everyday life in big cities like New York.
