Sebastian Zapeta, aged 33, stands accused of igniting the fire using a lighter while Ms. Kawam was in a state of slumber. Allegedly, he further fueled the flames by using a shirt, all while observing the fire’s growth from a bench positioned outside the subway car.
Mr. Zapeta, who asserts that he has no recollection of the incident, was indicted by a grand jury last week. The charges against him include four counts of murder and one count of arson.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has officially ruled the death as a homicide. According to Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the office, the cause of death was determined to be “thermal and inhalational injuries”. This information was made public on Tuesday.
“The medical examiner confirmed the identity yesterday through fingerprint analysis, after collaborating with our law enforcement partners in a multi-agency effort,” she stated.
Authorities took over a week to identify Ms. Kawam’s body.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed that Ms. Kawam had recently stayed at a homeless shelter within the city.
“It truly emphasizes my point that individuals should not be residing in our subway system; they should have access to proper care. Regardless of her place of residence, this unfortunate incident should never have occurred,” he expressed.
During a press conference held early in the investigation, Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney, emphasized the efforts made by authorities to gather crucial DNA evidence and fingerprints from the remains of Ms. Kawam.
Mr. Gonzalez emphasized the importance of identifying the woman in order to notify her family.
After the attack, false and unverified information about her started circulating online, which even included a fake AI-generated picture.
Last week, a vigil was organized in support of the unidentified victim, showcasing the overwhelming show of solidarity from the community.
According to police reports, Ms. Kawam was found in a seemingly motionless state, appearing to be asleep, on a subway train that was not in motion at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn on the early morning of December 22nd. It was during this time that Mr. Zapeta allegedly approached her with a lighter.
The police believe that the pair did not know each other, as they never interacted.
New York Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, revealed that the scent of smoke prompted police officers and Metropolitan Transit Authority personnel to rush towards the fire and swiftly put out the flames.
According to Ms. Tisch, the officers who responded were unaware that the suspect had remained at the scene and was sitting on a bench on the platform just outside the train car.
Ms. Kawam was declared dead at the scene by authorities.
According to Ms Tisch, this incident is considered to be one of the most depraved crimes that one person could commit against another human being.
During the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, prosecutor Ari Rottenberg revealed that Mr. Zapeta admitted to consuming alcohol and claimed to have no recollection of the incident. However, he did acknowledge his presence in the photos and surveillance video, which clearly captured him setting the fire.
According to immigration authorities, the suspect, originally from Guatemala, was deported from the US in 2018 but later re-entered the country illegally.
According to prosecutors, he is scheduled to appear in court on January 7th.
Riders on America’s largest mass transit system have raised concerns due to a string of attacks, despite a decline in crime rates on New York City’s subway.
On Tuesday afternoon, a distressing incident occurred in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. New York City police reported that an individual was forcefully pushed onto the subway tracks just as a train approached. The safety concern regarding subway incidents has once again come to the forefront.
According to local media, a suspect has been detained after an unidentified male victim was admitted to the hospital with a head injury.
