A woman set on fire inside a New York City subway has raised questions about how a world traveler and former Merck employee ended up homeless and burned on a train.

Sebastian Zapeta, the man accused of setting a woman on fire on the NYC subway, pleads not guilty in the death of Debrina Kawam.

In December 2024, a woman was brutally set on fire in a New York City subway. She has now been identified as 57-year-old Toms River, New Jersey, resident Debrina Kawam. As the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams spoke to the press, they explained more details about the terrifying crime.