Man pleads not guilty to setting woman on fire on NYC subway
NEW YORK -- The man accused of setting a woman on fire on a New York City subway car just before Christmas entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday morning.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was indicted last month on four counts of murder and one count of arson in the death of 57-year-old Debrina Kawam.
Zapeta, who according to court documents lives in a shelter in Brooklyn and does roof and siding work, appeared in a Brooklyn courtroom Tuesday and was arraigned with the help of an interpreter. His next court date was set for March 12.
Advocates gathered outside the courthouse and said Kawam's family is overwhelmed, adding her relatives will hold a memorial at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the First Baptist Church of Sheepshead Bay on East 15th Street in Brooklyn.
"The family is going through a tough time. They are not known to being in the public eye. They don't like to be in the public eye," said Rev. Kevin McCall, founder of the Crisis Action Center.
"She was loved. She was not by herself. Even in that moment, she may have looked by herself, but there is a family who mourns her loss, who loved her," Pastor Sharmaine Byrd added.
Debrina Kawam burned to death on NYC subway
Prosecutors say Zapeta intentionally lit Kawam on fire while she was sleeping on board an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station on Dec. 22. Authorities say he fanned the flames with a shirt before sitting on a platform bench and watching her burn.
Kawam was a native of Toms River, New Jersey who was homeless at the time.
Court documents reveal that during questioning Zapeta identified himself in the surveillance videos and photos, but claimed he could not remember what happened.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the crime a malicious deed and said the charges Zapeta now faces are "significant," with murder in the first degree carrying the possibility of life without parole.
"It is difficult to fathom what could lead someone to commit the atrocious and horrific murder with which this defendant is charged," the DA said in a statement Tuesday. "My office swiftly obtained an indictment, and we are determined to exact the most severe punishment for this heinous and inhumane act. Ms. Kawam and her loved ones deserve a measure of justice and New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in the subways."
Local leaders say subway riders, including the city's most vulnerable residents, must be protected.
"We are calling for change in the city, so these acts will not happen," McCall said.
"It was on the subway system, which many of us in New York use, so it's scary. It's traumatizing and things have to be done," Byrd said.
According to immigration officials, Zapeta entered the United States illegally from Guatemala in 2018. He was deported and then re-entered the country again. Court documents show he has a wife and children back home.
"This is somebody that needed some type of support, but didn't get it. He belongs in jail," McCall said.
NYPD sending more officers to subway platforms and cars
In the wake of several recent subway attacks, including a passenger being pushed in front of a train in Chelsea and several transit stabbings, the NYPD is adding more patrols underground.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Monday that major crime in transit is down more than 5%, but they acknowledged many people still don't feel safe.
"Effective this week, I directed that we moved more than 200 officers onto trains to do specialty train patrols, and I have further directed that we deploy more officers onto subway platforms in the 50 highest-rime stations in the city," Tisch said.
The commissioner said 78% of subway crime happens on trains and platforms, and that's where the officers will focus. She also praised officers, saying decreases in crime -- on and off the subway -- have happened against all odds.
"The deck has been completely stacked against our cops, and there's one glaring issue -- surging recidivism," she said. "Imagine how disheartening it is for our cops to be out there arresting the same people for the same crimes in the same neighborhoods day after day, and imagine how scary it is for New Yorkers to see the same person who victimized them one day walking the streets the next."
Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also announced plans for new legislation in the executive budget to change the state's involuntary commitment standards when it comes to people experiencing mental illness in the subway system.
