Man accused of burning woman to death on Brooklyn subway train pleads not guilty
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The man arrested for allegedly setting a woman on fire on a subway train entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, appeared in Brooklyn court in an orange jumpsuit and orange jacket, his hands cuffed behind his back as he was arraigned on murder and arson charges in the killing of Debrina Kawam, 57, originally from Toms River, New Jersey.
Prosecutors say Zapeta lit the New Jersey native on fire on a stopped F train at Brooklyn's Coney Island station on Dec. 22. Zapeta then fanned the flames with a shirt before sitting on platform bench and watching as Kawam burned, they allege.
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, prosecutors said.
The court hearing lasted under five minutes. Zapeta stood up, his eyes facing the floor, as a Spanish interpreter whispered into his ear.
A grand jury last month indicted the subway arsonist on four counts of murder, including one count of murder in the first degree, three counts of murder in the second degree and arson in the first degree.
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He will be back in court for another hearing on March 12.
Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who authorities say entered the country illegally after being deported in 2018, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the murder charge.
Meanwhile the victim, Kawam, went to Montclair State University to study business and marketing and for a time had worked at Merck. She filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
Investigators say she had been staying at city run shelters since at least September. Kawam's family described her promising life before reaching a tragic demise.
The killing has renewed discussion about safety in the nation's largest mass transit system even as crime in the subway remains relatively rare.
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 Monday, which also showed a 3% overall drop in major crimes citywide.
Still, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a Monday 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.
RELATED | Man accused in woman's burning death used shirt to fan flames, prosecutors say
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