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.

NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a sleeping woman to death inside a New York City subway train is set to be arraigned Tuesday on murder and arson charges. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, will appear in Brooklyn court in connection with the killing of Debrina Kawam, 57.

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

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 man accused of setting a woman on fire on a subway train in Brooklyn is expected back in court on Tuesday. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is scheduled to be arraigned after he waived the right to his first court appearance last month.

Sebastian Zapeta, the man accused of setting a woman on fire on the NYC subway, is due in court in the death of Debrina Kawam.

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.

A grand jury last month indicted the subway arsonist on four counts of murder, including one count of murder in the first degree, three counts of murder in the second degree and arson in the first degree.

Sebastian Zapeta faces multiple counts of murder as well as an arson charge. I've been on 50 cruises. Here are 5 things I never buy on the ships. A Mysterious Image Was Supposed to Be Amelia Earhart’s Plane.