Man sentenced for setting homeless man on fire on New York subway

A New York man has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for setting fire to a homeless man who was sleeping on a subway train in Manhattan, according to federal prosecutors. The victim was critically injured but survived.

Hiram Carrero, 19, was sentenced Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to arson, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

The attack happened in the early morning hours of December 1, 2025, after Carrero boarded a subway car at the 34th Street–Penn Station stop. Prosecutors said he picked up a piece of paper and used it to set fire to a man who was asleep on the train.

Carrero then stepped back onto the platform as the doors closed, leaving the victim trapped inside the subway car as the train left the station.

Video from inside the train showed the fire spreading as the train traveled north toward the next station, with flames engulfing the victim’s legs and part of the subway car.

When the train arrived at 42nd Street–Times Square, the victim got off while still on fire. First responders at the station rushed to put out the flames minutes later. The victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

“Setting fire to another person is a breathtaking, horrific, and unconscionable crime,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said. “Thanks to first responders and the women and men of the NYPD and the FDNY, the victim’s life was saved, and a horrific tragedy was averted.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Carrero was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.