The victim of a horrific subway arson attack in Brooklyn has been identified as Debrina Kawam, a 57-year-old woman from Toms River, New Jersey, police have confirmed. The identification was made possible through fingerprint analysis, more than a week after the shocking incident took place.
Kawam, who was reportedly homeless, was asleep on an F train at the Stillwell Avenue-Coney Island station on the morning of December 22. It was then that she was allegedly set on fire by Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. Zapeta-Calil is now facing first-degree murder charges for the heinous act.
Footage from the incident, which shows the accused calmly watching the fire engulf Kawam, has left viewers and the local community in a state of shock and disbelief.
The revelation of Kawam’s identity came as a surprise to Olga Corpion, a Toms River resident who bought the house previously owned by Kawam’s mother. Corpion remembered an unexpected visit from Kawam after she purchased the house, which was listed as Kawam’s last known address. Corpion described Kawam as well-dressed and not appearing homeless during their brief encounter. She even had an Uber waiting for her, leading Corpion to speculate that she might have been living in an assisted living facility.
Another neighbor, Valerie Waskiewicz, remembered Kawam as a caregiver for an older woman, presumably her mother. Waskiewicz expressed shock and disbelief at the tragic circumstances of Kawam’s death.
Sources indicate that Kawam had been living in shelters in New York City since at least September. She had been assigned a bed at the Franklin Williams Women’s Shelter in the Bronx in late November but left shortly after. Kawam had a few previous encounters with law enforcement, including a transit violation for alcohol, a disorderly conduct charge in Maryland, and a prostitution charge in New Jersey.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed his condolences to Kawam’s family and reiterated his stance that the subway system is not a suitable place for people to live. He emphasized the need for proper care facilities for the homeless.
The city medical examiner had difficulty identifying Kawam due to the severity of her burns. Meanwhile, Zapeta-Calil, who is facing murder and arson charges, is currently being held at Rikers Island without bail. He had previously been deported in 2018 after entering the U.S. illegally but managed to return.
A friend from the shelter where Zapeta-Calil last resided described him as a heavy drinker and user of the synthetic drug K2. He allegedly told police he was so intoxicated at the time of the attack that he doesn’t remember setting the fire.