Viral Story About NYC Subway Victim Name False

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A tragic incident on the New York City subway has sparked controversy and misinformation across social media platforms. The horrific event, which involved a woman being set ablaze while sleeping on a subway train, has raised serious concerns about transit system safety.

Initial social media posts circulated false information about the victim’s identity, claiming she was “Amelia Carter.” These posts attempted to politicize the tragedy, directing blame at President Biden and Vice President Harris. However, fact-checking efforts have revealed these claims to be entirely fabricated.

#AmeliaCarter #ConspiracyTheorists #SebastianZapata pic.twitter.com/W6XNEjr1j0

— 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 🏴‍☠️👁️ (@SharronMcKenna5) December 27, 2024

Investigation of the viral social media content exposed several layers of deception. The photograph purporting to be “Amelia Carter” was discovered to be AI-generated, as confirmed by TrueMedia’s analysis software. The fabrication extended beyond just images, with false narratives creating an elaborate backstory about the supposed victim, including claims about her working as a nurse in NYC and completing an internship with Senator Bernie Sanders.

The earlier reports of an "Amelia Carter" as the woman burned to death on the NYC subway were all BS.

The actual victim has been now identified by NYPD as Debrina Kawam, a 61-year-old homeless woman.

There apparently are no current pictures available of Kawam but here is a… pic.twitter.com/a8F6FqYi6z

— Tom Odell (@TomOdell) December 31, 2024

The deception took an even more disturbing turn when cryptocurrency traders attempted to capitalize on the tragedy. A digital currency branded as “Justice for Amelia Carter” appeared on pump.fun, a Solana-based trading platform.

NBC News has confirmed that the actual victim was Debrina Kawam, a 57-year-old homeless woman from New Jersey. The suspect in the case, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, has been identified as an unauthorized immigrant from Guatemala who had previously been deported in 2018, according to CNN’s reporting.