Suspect in New York subway arson attack pleads not guilty
Sebastian Zapeta, accused of setting a woman on fire on a New York City subway, told detectives, “Oh, damn, that’s me,” when he saw footage of the assault, but nothing happened. The records revealed that he stated that he could not remember. It was released on Tuesday. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and arson.
brooklyn – A memorial service was held in Brooklyn on Sunday night for Debrina Khawam, who was set on fire in a New York City subway in December.
What we know:
The memorial service began at 5 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Sheepshead Bay.
Civil rights leader Rev. Kevin McCall of the Crisis Action Center, Bishop Alfred Phillips of First Baptist Church of Sheepshead Bay, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of the New York Board of Rabbis, and Imam McCall of the New York City Commission for Racial Equality. Ahmed Ali attended a service with New York City Police Department Traffic Commissioner Joseph Gulotta.
What we don’t know:
At this time, her actual funeral date is unknown. Khawam’s family plans to hold a private service for her at a later date, which will not be known to the media.
What happened to Kawam?
Timeline:
Prosecutors say Sebastian Zapeta set Debrina Khawam, 57, of Toms River, New Jersey, on fire on Dec. 22 on a stopped F train at Brooklyn’s Coney Island Station.
Zapeta then fanned the flames with his shirt, then sat on a bench on the platform and watched Khawam burn, they claimed.
Police said when the train stopped at the last stop, the suspect calmly approached Khawam and lit him on fire with a lighter.
Khawam’s clothing was then “completely engulfed within seconds,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.
“Officers on patrol above the station smelled it, saw the smoke and went to investigate. They saw a person standing inside a vehicle fully engulfed in flames. ” Tisch said.
Khawam was pronounced dead at the scene.
“With the help of MTA personnel and fire extinguishers, the blaze was extinguished. Unfortunately, it was too late,” Tisch said.
After the incident, it took nearly two weeks for police to identify her.
The Homeless Coalition initially listed her as potentially homeless, but that was confirmed pending confirmation from her family.
Who is Debrina Khawam?
Khawam grew up in Little Falls, New Jersey, where she was reportedly a popular student, cheerleader and worked at a pancake house, according to friends who spoke to The New York Times.
As her friend Cindy Certosimo Bowie recalled, in her 20s she traveled with friends to places like Jamaica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Las Vegas, working in various short-term jobs.
In the early 2000s, Khawam was working at Merck and Co., but her life took a turn for the worse.
Who is Sebastian Zepeta?
Opposite side:
Authorities have charged Zapeta, a Guatemalan national who entered the country illegally after being deported in 2018, with multiple counts of murder and arson. The most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Photo credit: Poole/Curtis Means
He had previously been arraigned on criminal charges, but New York state requires a grand jury indictment in all felony cases to proceed to trial unless the defendant waives that requirement.
Prosecutors in Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez’s office announced that Zapeta was indicted in late December.
Subway crime is down, officials say.
In terms of numbers:
Traffic crime is down for the second year in a row, with a 5.4% drop last year compared to 2023, with an overall 3% decline in major crimes across the city, according to data released by police on Monday. It is also shown that there are.
Still, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference discussing the statistics that passengers simply “don’t feel safe.”
In response, the ministry said it would rush more than 200 officers to the subway and deploy more officers to subway platforms in the city’s 50 busiest stations.
“We know that 78 per cent of traffic crimes occur on trains and platforms, so it’s clear that police officers need to be there,” Tisch said. “This is just the beginning.”
source: This story uses previous reporting from FOX 5 NY and information from The Associated Press.
