Police identify woman set on fire in deadly New York City attack

Police in New York City have named a woman who was set on fire and burned to death last week on a subway train in Brooklyn.

Debrina Kawam, 57, of New Jersey, has been identified as the victim of the seemingly random 22 December attack that burned her body beyond recognition.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is accused of starting the blaze with a lighter while Ms Kawam was asleep. He allegedly fanned the flames with a shirt and then watched the fire grow from a bench outside the subway car.

Last week, a grand jury indicted Mr Zapeta, who claims to have no memory of the incident, on four counts of murder and one count of arson.

Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, said the death was ruled a homicide and caused by “thermal and inhalational injuries”. She made the identification public on Tuesday.

“The identity was confirmed by the medical examiner yesterday through fingerprint analysis, following a multi-agency effort with our partners in law enforcement,” she said.

It took authorities more than a week to identify Ms Kawam’s body.

At a press conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that Ms Kawam had recently spent time at a city homeless shelter.

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“It really reinforces what I’ve been saying, people should not be living on our subway system, they should be in a place of care. And no matter where she lived, that should not have happened,” he said.

Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney, said at a press conference early in the investigation that authorities had worked to collect DNA evidence and fingerprints from Ms Kawam’s remains.

“It’s a priority for me, for my office, for the police department to identify this woman, so we can notify her family,” Mr Gonzalez said.

False and unverified information about her, including a fake AI-generated picture, had circulated online in the aftermath of the attack.

There was also an outpouring of support, including a vigil held for the then-unidentified victim last week.

Police say that Ms Kawam was motionless, apparently asleep, on a stationary subway train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station in Brooklyn early on 22 December when Mr Zapeta allegedly approached her with a lighter.

The pair never interacted, and police believe they did not know each other.

Jessica Tisch, New York’s police commissioner, said that the smell of smoke drew police officers and Metropolitan Transit Authority personnel to the fire and they extinguished the flames.

“Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car,” Ms Tisch said.

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Authorities declared Ms Kawam dead at the scene.

Ms Tisch described the incident as “one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being”.

In a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, prosecutor Ari Rottenberg said Mr Zapeta told investigators that he had been drinking and did not remember the incident, but did identify himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit.

The suspect, who is originally from Guatemala, was deported from the US in 2018 and later re-entered the country illegally, immigration authorities said.

He is due back in court on 7 January, prosecutors said.

Despite a decline in crime rates on New York City’s subway, the incident is one of a string of attacks that has raised concerns for riders on America’s largest mass transit system.

The subway safety issue arose again on Tuesday afternoon when someone was pushed on to the tracks in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood in front of an oncoming subway, according to New York City police.

The unidentified male victim was admitted to hospital with a head injury, authorities said. Police later detained a suspect, according to local media.

Police identify woman set on fire in deadly New York City attack

Wike’s loyalists kick as Fubara presents N1.18tn budget to three-man Assembly

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Monday, presented a N1.18tn budget estimate for 2025 to the factional state House of Assembly comprising three lawmakers.

The incident was reminiscent of Fubara’s conduct last year, when he boycotted the 27-member factional assembly loyal to his predecessor and estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike.

In an interview, the opposition All Progressives Congress in Rivers State accused Fubara of violating the law.

Following the disintegration of Fubara and Wike’s friendship, the Rivers State House of Assembly became factionalised in October 2023.

At the height of the turmoil, Fubara survived an impeachment attempt by pro-Wike members, who also declared their departure from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.

Since then, Fubara has labelled the 27 lawmakers, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, as illegitimate, claiming he will have nothing to do with them.

On Monday, he presented the N1.18 trillion 2025 budget to the three-man factional Assembly, which was led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo.

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The Assembly also includes the Deputy Speaker, Adolphus Orubienimigha, and the House Leader, Sokari Goodboy Sokari.

The budget presentation was held at the Administrative Block of the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Fubara stated in his address that the budget, dubbed the “Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,” will be implemented to promote long-term economic growth, expedite development, and improve citizens’ living conditions.

He said, “The total projected revenue for Rivers State for the 2025 fiscal year is N1,188,962,739,932.36.

Two components of the budget are constituted as follows: recurrent expenditure of N462,254,153,418.98; capital expenditure of N678,088,433,692.03; a planning reserve of N35,688,864,931.16; and a closing balance of N12,931,287,890.19.

“This gives a recurrent/capital expenditure ratio of 44:56 percent, indicating the sincere commitment of our administration to both infrastructural and human capital development of our people and state.”

Fubara stated that over N31 billion had been given to fund agricultural development measures as well as programs to help Rivers youths overcome unemployment.

On education, the governor recommended spending more than N63 billion, or 9.3 percent of the budget.

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“With this, we shall access all outstanding matching grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission to rehabilitate, equip, and furnish dilapidated public primary and junior secondary schools and continue to provide free basic education to our children.

“We will also rehabilitate, equip, and furnish as many senior secondary schools as possible across the state, including the provision of new classrooms, perimeter fencing, water, and electricity, to provide a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning to take place,” he said.

Fubara stated that with the projected N97.750 billion for the health sector, which accounts for 14.4% of the budget, all zonal hospitals, the enhanced neuropsychiatric hospital, and the new general hospital in Rumuigbo, which is under construction, will be completed.

On road and transport infrastructure, the governor stated that over N195 billion had been set aside to complete all ongoing road projects and launch new ones.

“In social development and investments, Mr. Speaker, we have proposed spending N15.4bn to advance youth and gender empowerment, jobs and wealth creation, sports development, and social inclusion,” he said.

The Speaker, Oko-Jumbo, praised the governor for recording a gain in IGR of more than N100 billion, noting that it also demonstrated how appealing Rivers’ business climate has become.

He vowed the legislature’s support for the executive to keep the governor focused on delivering democratic dividends to the people. However, the Rivers APC, led by chairman Tony Okocha, denounced Fubara’s choice to deliver the budget to three MPs while excluding 27 pro-Wike lawmakers.

In an interview with our correspondent, the Rivers APC Publicity Secretary, Chibuike Ikenga, accused the governor of violating court orders.

He said, “I think the trajectory is a continuum where a case is sub judice and the government of Rivers State is continuing to act in disobedience to court processes and procedures.

“It is expected that, having disobeyed the decision of the high court and the decision of the appellate court, we await the final decision from the Supreme Court on who is the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Our party, the APC, expects the state government to obey the judicial pronouncement and positions and await the determination of these issues before the final court so that we can have a reprieve and begin to develop our state.

“That the government is disobeying those positions is unfortunate and does not encourage peacebuilding and development.”

Wike’s loyalists kick as Fubara presents N1.18tn budget to three-man Assembly

Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos

A fire outbreak has razed the Okokomaiko police station and surrounding buildings in Lagos, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.

According to LASEMA’s permanent secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the inferno started in a diesel tanker carrying 10,000 gallons of fuel.

He stated that the tanker caught fire while supplying diesel to a network tower near the police station.

According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the inferno spread fast to surrounding properties, devouring police station offices, three bungalows, and parts of a hotel.

The statement said, “Following distress calls received via the 767/112 Toll-Free Emergency Lines at 12:38 hrs, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans and its Emergency Response Team from the Igando Base,” the statement read.

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“Upon arrival at the incident scene, a loaded diesel tanker (registration number unknown) was found to have caught fire at the aforementioned location.

“Further investigation revealed that the diesel tanker, laden with 10,000 litres of diesel, was supplying a network mast at the aforesaid location when it caught fire while discharging its contents.

“However, the fire reportedly spread to adjoining buildings, one of which is Okokomaiko police station, due to negligence. No loss of lives nor injuries were sustained as a result of the fire incident.

“Three bungalows were completely burnt down when the fire reignited, with household properties worth hundreds of thousands of naira affected. One lock-up shop and four containerised shops were also burnt down.

“A generator house of an unknown hotel and their kitchen was also affected. Cables of the PHCN transformer nearby were also affected.”

Oke-Osanyintolu stated that emergency response teams from LASEMA, LASTMA, the fire service, the Nigerian Army, and the police collaborated to control the disaster.

Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos