NEW YORK -- The woman killed when she was set on fire in a Brooklyn subway car has been identified by police, after using fingerprint and dental information and DNA evidence. On Tuesday, NYPD officers identified her as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, originally from Toms River.

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.

Authorities previously said they were using forensics and video surveillance to identify the victim, who burned to death on a subway car in Brooklyn. The man accused of lighting her on fire, Sebastian Zapeta, was taken into custody hours after police disseminated images of a suspect.