Man accused of burning woman to death on NYC subway train pleads not guilty
Suspect in NYC subway burning pleads not guilty
Sebastian Zapeta, the man accused of setting a woman on fire inside a New York City subway told detectives, "Oh, damn, that’s me," when he saw video of the attack but said he couldn’t remember anything, according to a transcript released Tuesday. He has pled not guilty to charges of murder and arson.
BROOKLYN - The man accused of burning a sleeping woman to death inside a NYC subway train pleaded not guilty on Tuesday morning and allegedly told detectives he did not remember the attack.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was arraigned on murder and arson charges in Brooklyn court in connection with the killing of 57-year-old Debrina Kawam.
According to prosecutors, Zapeta lit the New Jersey native 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 allege.
Photo of Debrina Kawam provided to FOX 5 NY.
Prosecutors say Zapeta confirmed to police he was the man in surveillance photos and videos of the fire but said he drinks a lot of alcohol and did not recall what happened.
According to authorities, Zapeta told detectives, "Oh, damn, that’s me," when he saw video of the attack but said he couldn’t remember anything, according to a transcript released Tuesday.
Inside a Brooklyn precinct later that day, authorities described Zapeta as reacting with "disgust" and "strangeness" to the video, wiping his eyes and exclaiming in Spanish, "Oh, my goodness," according to the transcript.
"I am very sorry. I didn’t mean to," he then told detectives. "I don’t know what happened, but I’m very sorry for that woman."
He added that he had been drinking heavily throughout the night and fallen asleep on the subway, but did not remember what happened next.
Who is Sebastian Zapeta?
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
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.
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Was New York City crime up or down in 2024?
On the subway, felony assaults were up 65% from 2019 to 2024, according to the MTA. In 2019, 374 felony assaults were reported, while in 2024, 579 were reported.
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."