A woman who died in a fire on a New York City subway has been identified.

Tragedy struck the bustling city of New York this month when a woman was set on fire in a subway train. The victim, 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, hailed from New Jersey, as police announced on Tuesday. While she had once worked at the renowned pharmaceutical company Merck, her life took a tumultuous turn, leading her to briefly stay at a homeless shelter in New York after recently moving to the city. The Department of Social Services revealed that she had been in their care, but did not specify when.

Kawam's family was notified about her untimely death on December 22nd, as authorities had an address for her in Toms River, a community on the Jersey Shore. The Associated Press reached out to potential relatives for comment, but received no response. Mayor Eric Adams expressed his condolences to the family during a news briefing, stating that it was a horrific incident for them to endure.

Tragically, this incident was only the beginning of a string of violent acts on the nation's busiest subway system. Later that day, a 45-year-old man was pushed onto the tracks in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, just moments before a train was due to arrive. The victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and the police had a person of interest in custody.

While the overall safety of New York's subways is on par with the rest of the city, violent crimes such as stabbings and shoves can cause widespread panic among the trains' 1 billion riders. However, police data shows that major crimes on subways have actually decreased this year, with the exception of killings, which have risen from five to nine.

In Kawam's case, prosecutors revealed that she was asleep on a subway car in Coney Island when a stranger, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, set her clothes on fire. He then used a shirt to fan the flames, causing her to be engulfed in the blaze. Zapeta then sat on a platform bench, watching as she burned. It was a difficult task for authorities to identify the victim, and it wasn't until Friday that they were able to trace her through forensic evidence and surveillance footage.

Zapeta, who has been indicted on murder and arson charges, has not yet entered a plea, and his lawyer has declined to comment. Immigration officials have stated that he is from Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally. The address given by the police matched that of a shelter that provides housing and support for substance abuse. He was apprehended after high school students recognized him from surveillance images and provided a tip to the police. Zapeta later told authorities that he was the man seen in the footage, but claimed to have no recollection of the incident due to excessive alcohol consumption.

While it is unclear why Kawam was asleep on the subway, it is not uncommon for homeless individuals to seek refuge in the trains. While they have a right to shelter in the city, some may turn to the subways if they are unable to stay in shelters or feel unsafe in them. On the morning of the fire, the temperature was below freezing, with temperatures around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, according to weather data from nearby Brooklyn stations. Mayor Adams emphasized that regardless of Kawam's living situation, this tragedy should not have occurred.

The Department of Social Services has vowed to increase their efforts to reach and aid homeless individuals on the streets and in the subways, encouraging them to utilize shelters. This story has been corrected to reflect Kawam's accurate age of 57, as confirmed by the police. As the investigation continues, Zapeta remains in jail, with his next court date scheduled for January 7th.

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