A New York high school senior has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for setting a sleeping homeless man on fire on a subway train in December 2025. The 19-year-old, Hiram Carrero, pleaded guilty to the charges in March.
Judge Lewis J. Liman imposed a sentence six months longer than the mandatory minimum for arson, but less than the eight-year maximum sought by federal prosecutors. Prosecutors described Carrero's actions as "heinous" and stated that the victim suffered extensive scarring and disfigurement, narrowly avoiding death due to the prompt arrival of first responders.
The incident occurred on an uptown train that departed from the 34th Street–Penn Station. Security footage showed Carrero igniting the fire and exiting the subway car. The train continued for over two minutes before reaching the 42nd Street–Times Square station, where police found the victim on the platform with flames on his lap.
Prosecutors argued that Carrero attempted to kill the victim, stating the crime was "separated from murder by mere chance." They did not consider Carrero's admission of drinking and smoking marijuana before the attack as a sufficient mitigating factor.
Defense attorneys sought leniency, citing Carrero's "neurodevelopmental impairment" at birth and abandonment by his parents. His legal team also noted a history of substance abuse that escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic when he could not attend school in person. Carrero himself described his crime as "senseless" and "inexplicable."
The attack occurred approximately one year after a similar fatal incident on the subway, where a sleeping rider was set on fire. In that case, a man from Guatemala was arrested and is awaiting trial.