Debrina Kawam, 57, had recently moved to New York City from Toms River, a township on the Jersey Shore. She had a “brief stint” in the city’s homeless shelter system, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Authorities struggled with identifying the body, and up until last Friday, they were still using video surveillance and forensics to uncover her identity.
“Hearts go out to the family, a horrific incident to have to live through,” Adams said during a press conference. “It impacts on how New Yorkers feel. But it really reinforces what I’ve been saying: People should not be living on our subway system. They should be in a place of care. No matter where she lived, that should not have happened.”
On Dec. 22, Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, lit a match and threw it on Kawam while the F Train was stopped at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. Video surveillance shows Zapeta fanning the flames with a shirt, which caused the flames to engulf Kawam. He then stepped off the platform and watched her burn to death.
Authorities are still seeking to contact Kawam’s next of kin.
“As we mourn this loss, we resolve to double down on our outreach efforts to reach and support New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness on city streets and subways and ensure they consistently access shelter services,” a spokesperson with the New York City Department of Social Services said in an emailed statement to the Associated Press.
Authorities apprehended Zapeta later that day. He claimed he was drinking heavily and had no recollection of the events that unfolded. He was indicted on murder and arson charges.
Meanwhile, Adams said the death of Kawam “overshadowed” the great progress the city has made in improving safety aboard the subway.
“People are seeing and feeling what they’re reading,” Adams said. “So, our success is overshadowed.”
During the Tuesday press conference, Adams shared how the subway system only has six reported crimes a day.
“We are doing the job on bringing down the numbers, but as I say over and over and I said in 2022, New Yorkers must feel safe,” he told reporters from city hall.
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However, the death of Kawam has raised the number of murders at the subway station to 10 this year, doubling the figure from 2023. This year also matched the 25-year high of murders set in 2022.
And just after Adams’s press conference, a passenger was pushed in front of a 1 Train in Manhattan.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
