Man Charged With Setting Woman on Fire on NYC Subway Pleads Not Guilty

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, an undocumented migrant, faces charges of first-degree murder and arson in the death of Debrina Kawam, who was burned alive on a subway train in December.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, is accused of igniting the clothing of Debrina Kawam, 57, on a stationary F train in Brooklyn, leading to her death from burns and smoke inhalation.
Zapeta-Calil, who admitted to being the man in surveillance footage but claimed to have no memory of the act due to heavy drinking, pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday.
Authorities allege that after setting Kawam on fire, Zapeta-Calil fanned the flames and sat on a bench to watch as she burned to death.
The attack has heightened public concerns over subway safety, even as NYPD data shows a 5.4% drop in overall transit crime in 2024, though subway homicides increased from five in 2023 to nine in 2024.
Zapeta-Calil, a Guatemalan national deported in 2018 who re-entered the U.S. illegally, faces life in prison without parole if convicted on the top charge of first-degree murder.