Memorial to honor woman burned to death on NYC subway train

BROOKLYN - A memorial service will be held Sunday evening in Brooklyn for Debrina Kawam, who was set on fire inside a New York City subway in December. 

What we know:

The memorial service started at 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Sheepsheadbay Church.

Civilrights Leader Rev. Kevin McCall from the Crisis Action Center, Bishop Alfred Phillips of the First Baptist Church of Sheepsheadbay, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of the New York Board of Rabbis, NYC Commissioner on Racial Equity Imam Ahmed Ali and NYPD Chief of Transit Chief Joseph Gulotta will be attending the service.

What we don't know:

Right now, we don't know the date of her actual funeral. Kawam's family will have a private service for her at a later date, and it will not be known to the media.

What happened to Kawam?

Timeline:

According to prosecutors, Sebastian Zapeta lit 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, a resident of Toms River, New Jersey, on fire back on Dec. 22 on a stopped F train at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station. 

Zapeta then fanned the flames with a shirt before sitting on a platform bench and watching as Kawam burned, they alleged. 

When the train stopped at the end of the line, police said the suspect calmly walked up to Kawam and set her on fire with his lighter. 

Kawam's clothing then "became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds," NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference. 

"Officers who were on patrol on an upper level of that station smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate. What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames," Tisch said.

Kawam was pronounced dead at the scene.

"With the help of an MTA employee and a fire extinguisher, the flames were put out. Unfortunately, it was too late," Tisch said.

It took nearly two weeks for police to identify her following the incident. 

The Coalition for the Homeless had initially identified her as possibly homeless, but confirmation was pending verification from her family.

Who is Debrina Kawam? 

Kawam grew up in Little Falls, New Jersey, where she was reportedly a popular student, cheerleader, and worked at a pancake house, according to friends who spoke with The New York Times.

In her 20s, she traveled with friends to places like Jamaica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Las Vegas, holding various short-term jobs, as recalled by friend Cindy Certosimo Bowie.

In the early 2000s, Kawam worked for Merck, but her life took a downturn. 

Who is Sebastian Zepeta?

The other side:

Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who authorities say entered the country illegally after being deported in 2018, faces multiple counts of murder as well as an arson charge. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

He was previously arraigned on a criminal complaint, but in New York, all felony cases require a grand jury indictment to proceed to trial unless a defendant waives that requirement.

Prosecutors with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez's office announced Zapeta had been indicted in late December.

Subway crime is down, officials say

By the numbers:

Transit crime is down for the second straight year, with a 5.4% drop last year compared to 2023, according to data released by police on Monday, which also showed a 3% overall drop in major crimes citywide.

Still, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a news conference discussing the statistics that riders simply "don't feel safe."

In response, she said the department will surge more than 200 officers onto subway trains and deploy more officers onto subway platforms in the 50 highest-crime stations in the city.

"We know that 78% of transit crime occurs on trains and on platforms, and that is quite obviously where our officers need to be," Tisch said. "This is just the beginning."

Crime and Public SafetyBrooklyn