Written by Andrew Hay
(Reuters) – The woman who died after being set on fire in a New York City subway earlier this month was Debrina Quam, 57, of Toms River, New Jersey, the New York coroner's office said on Tuesday.
Quam was identified through fingerprint analysis, and her death from thermal and inhalation injuries was ruled a homicide, said Julie Bolser, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. medical (TASE:) examiner.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Quam “spent a short period of time in our homeless shelter system,” without providing further details.
Sebastian Zapeta, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, was charged with murder and arson after he allegedly set Kwame on fire and watched her burn to death in a subway station.
Zabita was arrested about six hours after police said he used a lighter to ignite the clothes of Quam, who appeared to be asleep on the stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stilwell Avenue station in Brooklyn.
The suspect entered the United States without authorization in 2018 and was deported to Guatemala a few days later. The US Department of Homeland Security said it was not clear when he returned to the country illegally.
Police said there appeared to have been no prior interaction between the attacker, a Brooklyn man, and Quam.
The Department of Homeland Security statement said it will pursue deportation proceedings again when Zabetta is released from New York custody, which could include a long prison sentence if he is convicted.
