Who is Debrina Kawam? Woman burned to death in NYC subway train identified

What we know about the NYC subway arson victim so far

On Tuesday, police confirmed that illegal Guatemalan immigrant Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, who is now facing first-degree murder charges for the fatal attack, set Debrina Kawam of Toms River ablaze on December 22. As reported by The New York Post, the 61-year-old woman fell asleep inside the NYC subway train at the Stillwell Avenue-Coney Island station at 7:30 am when the unprecedented, nightmarish incident broke out.

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The ill-fated victim of the subway horror attack was so severely impacted that the authorities failed to identify her initially. In the aftermath of the ruthless instance, heart-rending video footage showed the accused’s involvement in the attack. Indifferent as ever, the presumed killer is seen watching the victim succumb to her fate from a bench on the platform. Bystanders also didn’t do anything to help her.

Debrina Kawam, 61, was reportedly homeless

Sources established that, ultimately, her fingerprints helped them identify Kawam. Last week, Coalition for the Homeless – a Big Apple advocacy group – said that she was homeless.

An NYPD source also said at the time that officials would probably rely on dental records to ID the tragic arson victim. Kawam reportedly had a walker and numerous bags with her at the time of the fateful incident. She is believed to have been alive when Zapeta-Calil allegedly set her on fire.

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The accused is currently being held at Rikers Island without bail. According to federal immigration officials, the 33-year-old illegal immigrant was deported shortly after his illegal entry into the US in 2018. Nonetheless, he somehow came back and eventually settled into the New York City shelter system by March 2023. A fellow resident at the Brooklyn facility determined that the accused was addicted to the synthetic drug K2. Zapeta-Calil was supposedly also a heavy drinker.