The suspect accused of killing a woman after he set her on fire on a New York City subway train told investigators he doesn’t remember committing the fatal act, The New York Times reports. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, a Guatemalan citizen who reportedly entered the U.S. illegally, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder in the death of 57-year-old Dabrina Kawam during a hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Court documents obtained by The Times reveal investigators interrogated Zapeta on the day of the attack. He described blacking out after drinking liquor all night.
The suspect said he had no memory of getting on the subway train or seeing Kawam.
When investigators showed him surveillance video of the attack, Zapeta said, “Oh, damn, that’s me.”
Kawam burns were so severe that it took the medical examiner’s office more than a week to identify her remains.
“I am very sorry. I didn’t mean to. But I really don’t know. I don’t know what happened, but I’m very sorry for that woman,” Zapeta told police.
Investigators say on the morning of Dec. 22, Zapeta walked up to Kawam as she slept on the F train and set her clothing and blanket on fire.
The flames engulfed Kawam, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, noting her thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.
In a statement Tuesday, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “My office swiftly obtained an indictment, and we are determined to exact the most severe punishment for this heinous and inhumane act. Ms. Kawam and her loved ones deserve a measure of justice, and New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in the subways.”
If convicted, Zapeta faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
