By Andrew Hay
(Reuters) – A woman who died after being set on fire on the New York City subway earlier this month has been identified as Debrina Kawam, 57, of Toms River, New Jersey, the New York medical examiner’s office said on Tuesday .
Kawam was identified through fingerprint analysis and her death from thermal and inhalation injuries was ruled a homicide, said Julie Bolcer, spokesperson for the Office of the Head of State. Medical (TASE:) Examiner.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Kawam “had a brief stint in our homeless shelter system,” without elaborating.
Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen, was charged with murder and arson after allegedly lighting Kawam on fire and watching her burn to death in a subway station.
Zapeta was arrested about six hours after police said he used a lighter to ignite the clothes of Kawam who appeared to be dozing on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue stop in Brooklyn.
The suspect entered the United States without authorization in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala days later. It’s unclear exactly when he re-entered illegally, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
There appeared to be no prior interaction between the attacker, a Brooklyn man, and Kawam, police said.
The Department of Homeland Security’s statement said it would pursue deportation proceedings again whenever Zapeta is released from New York custody, which could include a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
