The Mystery of a Subway Victim’s Downward Spiral
Good morning. It’s Monday. Today we’ll read about the early life and downward spiral of Debrina Kawam, the woman who was burned alive on a train in Brooklyn last month at age 57.
Andy Newman, who covers homelessness and poverty for the Metro desk, and I spent days reporting on the twists and turns of her life in an attempt to understand her life after her death made headlines across the country.
Debrina Kawam’s story was a tale of two lives. In her first act, she was Debbie, the girl who old friends fondly remembered as a spitfire and beloved Little Falls, N.J., sweetheart.
Those who knew her said she had an inner glow that shined through as she cheered on football players in high school, posed against a collage of Led Zeppelin posters and welcomed diners at Perkins Pancake House with a smile.
Accounts of her early life further revealed a jubilant woman who took a bite out of life whenever she could, whether that was through trips to the Caribbean or partying with friends.
In 2003, she legally changed her first name to Debrina.
Somewhere along the way her life changed, and it took a dark turn in the early 2000s. It still remains unclear what may have happened to trigger her heart-wrenching downfall.
Financial records show that she accumulated about $90,000 in debt, eventually leaving her with a handful of possessions: a Dodge Neon valued at $800, a television, a futon worth $300 and some clothes.
Grappling with alcohol abuse, Kawam racked up dozens of summonses for drinking and disorderly conduct along the Jersey Shore starting in the mid-2010s.
She tried to visit her mother in Toms River, N.J., this spring, only to find out that her mother had sold the home and moved away.
In the fall of last year, Kawam was homeless. After an outreach team encountered her at Grand Central Terminal, she entered the New York City shelter system and was assigned to a facility in the Bronx. But she never showed up.
On Dec. 22, she had dozed off on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station when a man calmly walked up to her and set her clothes on fire with a lighter, the authorities said. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil has been charged with murder and arson in the case.
She died from burns and smoke inhalation. It took the medical examiner’s office days to identify her. But since Kawam’s name emerged, her story has become one that is likely to remain in New Yorkers’ memories.
Weather
Today there will be light snow with clouds and a high near 31. Tonight, the sky will remain cloudy as the temperature dips into the low 20s.
ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING
Suspended today for Three Kings Day.
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Dear Diary:
My tooth was aching as I got off a packed northbound A train at 175th Street. I joined a river of people flowing at rush hour through the long tunnel that leads to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
I was deeply lost in my thoughts when I was overtaken by an immaculately dressed, middle-aged man.
To my astonishment, he stopped, turned and, blocking my way, looked directly into my eyes with an indignant expression.
“May I help you?” I asked.
“You missed a whole passage,” he said in an angry voice.
“What passage?” I said.
“From the ‘Trout Quintet’,” he said. “By Schubert.”
“Was I whistling?” I asked. “I frequently do that unconsciously, usually classical music.”
“I am sort of tone deaf,” I added, trying for some reason to assuage his anger.
“Tone deafness has nothing to do with it,” he said. “You missed a whole passage.”
I tried to ask if he was a musician, but just then my voice was drowned out by someone in the tunnel who started to play an Andean panpipe really loudly.
“I am sorry,” I said apologetically to the man before continuing on. “But I really have to get to my dentist.”
— Bronek Pytowski
Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here.
Glad we could get together here. James Barron will be back tomorrow.
P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here.
