WPBN: Arraignment for the guy who is accused of setting a sleeping woman on fire inside a subway train in New York City is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The man is charged with both murder and arson.
In relation to the homicide of Debrina Kawam, who was 57 years old, Sebastian Zapeta, who is 33 years old, is scheduled to make an appearance in Brooklyn court.
During the 22nd of December, Zapeta is accused of setting the New Jersey native ablaze on a F train that was stopped at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Following that, Zapeta allegedly used a shirt to fan the flames, and then he sat on a bench on the platform and watched as Kawam burnt.
As stated by the prosecution, Zapeta admitted to the police that he was the individual depicted in surveillance photographs and recordings of the fire. However, he stated that he consumes a significant amount of alcohol and does not remember what took place.
Multiple counts of murder and an arson accusation have been brought against Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who, according to the authorities, entered the nation illegally after being deported in 2018.
One of the most serious charges carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Prior to that, he was arraigned on a criminal complaint; but, in the state of New York, in order for a felony case to continue to trial, it is necessary to have a grand jury indictment, unless the defendant willingly waives that need.
Zapeta was indicted, according to the announcement made by the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, which was made toward the end of December.
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Even though criminal activity in the subway is still relatively uncommon, the killing has reignited the conversation over safety in the nation’s greatest mass transit system.
As of Monday, the data that was given by the police showed that there was a 3% overall drop in significant crimes across the city. This indicates that transit crime has decreased for the second consecutive year, with a 5.4% drop in comparison to 2023.
Despite this, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated during a press conference on Monday that riders just “do not feel safe.” The statistics on the subject were discussed.
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She stated that in response, the department will increase the number of cops on board the subway trains by more than 200 and will also increase the number of officers on the subway platforms in the fifty stations in the city that have the worst crime rates.
“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 stated. “This is just the beginning.”
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