NEW YORK (Reuters) - 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.

Officials identified the woman who was burned to death inside a New York City subway train on Dec. 22 as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam.

In December 2024, a woman was brutally set on fire in a New York City subway. She has now been identified as 57-year-old Toms River, New Jersey, resident Debrina Kawam. As the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams spoke to the press, they explained more details about the terrifying crime.

The woman who was set on fire on the NYC subway has been identified as Debrina Kawam, of Toms River, New Jersey, police say.

The New York City Police Department identified the sleeping woman a man set on fire while aboard the subway last week. Debrina Kawam, 57, had recently moved to New York City from Toms River, a township on the Jersey Shore. She had a “brief stint” in the city’s homeless shelter system, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The woman who died after being set on fire in a New York subway train earlier this month was a 57-year-old from New Jersey, New York City police announced .

Debrina Kawam, of Toms River, was identified as the person who was set on fire and killed on a New York City subway, authorities said.The 57-year-old woman was named as the victim of the attack on Sunday,

The man accused of burning a woman alive while she was asleep on a New York City subway is set to be arraigned Tuesday on murder and arson charges. #NYC #arson #subway

A man accused of setting a sleeping woman on fire and killing her on a New York subway is scheduled to be arraigned on murder and arson charges Tuesday morning.