The woman killed when she was set on fire in a Brooklyn subway car has been identified by police, after using fingerprint and dental information and DNA evidence.
On Tuesday, NYPD officers identified her as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, originally from Toms River.
She is believed to have been homeless and was sleeping on the subway when she was set on fire.
Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that Kawam briefly spent time in the city’s shelter system.
“Hearts go out to the family, a horrific incident to have to live through,” Adams said at an unrelated press briefing. “It impacts on how New Yorkers feel. But 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. No matter where she lived that should not have happened.”
Last week, a grand jury indicted the alleged subway arsonist on four counts of murder — one count of murder in the first degree, three counts of murder in the second degree and arson in the first degree during a hearing Friday.