Man pleads not guilty to burning woman to death on a New York City subway train

NEW YORK (AP) — A man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to burning a sleeping woman to death inside a New York City subway train.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was arraigned on murder and arson charges in Brooklyn court in connection with the killing of Debrina Kawam, 57.

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.

Prosecutors say 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.

Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who authorities say entered the country illegally after being deported in 2018, faces multiple counts of murder as well as an arson charge. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

He was previously arraigned on a criminal complaint, but in New York, all felony cases require a grand jury indictment to proceed to trial unless a defendant waives that requirement.

Prosecutors with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez's office announced Zapeta had been indicted in late December.

Zapeta's lawyer didn't respond to an email seeking comment Monday evening.

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.

“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 said. "This is just the beginning.”