Sebastian Zapeta, the man accused of setting a woman on fire on the NYC subway, pleads not guilty in the death of Debrina Kawam.

The deadly fire on the F train was one of several high-profile acts of violence in New York City's subway system at the end of last year, even as transit crime dropped overall in 2024. The NYPD on Monday pledged to send 200 more officers into the subway, with a focus on train cars and platforms.

The suspect is accused of setting a sleeping woman's clothes on fire, using his shirt to fan the flames and then sitting on a platform bench nearby.

The man accused of killing a woman sleeping on a New York City subway car by setting her on fire pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and arson at a court hearing on Tuesday. A grand jury has indicted Sebastian Zapeta,

The man charged with burning a woman to death on a New York City subway train pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and arson charges.

The suspect accused of setting a woman on fire on the subway last month was back in court to plead “not guilty” just a short time ago. FOX 5 NY’s Michelle Ross has the details from the courtroom.

The man accused of setting a woman on fire inside a New York City subway told detectives, “Oh, damn, that’s me,” when he saw video of the attack but said he couldn’t remember anything, according to a transcript released Tuesday.