A woman who was lit on fire and burned to death on a New York City subway car has been identified.
The victim of the horrific crime was Debrina Kawam, 61, of Toms River, New Jersey, police said on Tuesday.
Kawam was named nine days after the horrific incident at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn.
Sebastian Zepeta, 33, an illegal immigrant, is accused of using a lighter to set Kawam on fire and then using a shirt to fan the flames.
In the days after the terrifying incident, authorities reportedly said the victim was burned so badly that it was difficult to identify her, and that she was not believed to be carrying an ID.
Zepeta has been charged with a count of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and a count of first-degree arson.
‘Lighting another human being on fire and watching them burn alive reflects a level of evil that cannot be tolerated,’ stated New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office last week.
Zapeta is set to be arraigned on January 7. His indictment will be officially unsealed that day. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez last week called the charges ‘significant counts’.
‘Murder in the first degree carries the possibility of life without parole,’ stated Gonzalez.
‘It’s the most serious statute in New York state law, and my office is very confident about the evidence in this case and our ability to hold Zapeta accountable for his dastardly deeds.’
He entered the US from Guatemala illegally in 2018 and was removed, but made his way back in at an unknown time later.
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