Teen Receives 5.5-Year Sentence for Subway Arson Attack on Homeless Man
WHO:
CNN - Hiram Carrero, 19, was sentenced by Judge Lewis J. Liman.
ABC News - A New York City high school senior was sentenced.
Gothamist - The victim was a homeless man who was sleeping in a subway car.
WHAT:
CNN - Carrero was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison, which is longer than the mandatory minimum for arson.
CNN - Prosecutors requested a sentence of up to eight years, citing Carrero’s “heinous actions” that left the victim critically injured.
ABC News - The teen was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for setting fire to the homeless man.
Gothamist - The sleeping man survived the arson attack.
WHERE:
ABC News - The incident occurred in a subway car in New York City.
WHEN:
CNN - The early morning fire occurred on Dec. 1, 2025.
CNN - Carrero pleaded guilty in March to the charge of arson.
ABC News - The sentencing took place recently, with no specific date provided.
WHY:
CNN - Prosecutors stated that Carrero's actions left the victim with "permanent extensive scarring and disfigurement."
CNN - Defense lawyer Jennifer Brown noted that Carrero had a troubled past, including being born prematurely with drugs in his system and being abandoned by his biological parents at the hospital after his birth.
CNN - Brown stated that Carrero's life "fell apart" when the pandemic struck in 2020, which eliminated his ability to attend school.
CNN - Prosecutors stated that Carrero tried to kill “a sleeping, homeless man by burning him alive and leaving him trapped on a moving subway car.”
CNN - The crime was described as “separated from murder by mere chance.”
CNN - Prosecutors described the crime as “separated from murder by mere chance” and criticized Carrero's explanation of being under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.
ABC News - The teen admitted to setting fire to the homeless man.
HOW:
CNN - The victim's life was saved only because emergency personnel reached him quickly after a “mercifully short trip” from Penn Station at 34th Street to Times Square.
CNN - Carrero admitted to intentionally igniting a piece of paper that harmed the victim.
ABC News - The method of the attack involved setting fire to the victim while he was sleeping.
(UPDATED June 24, 2026 17:40 UTC)
Prosecutors have revealed that Carrero's actions resulted in the victim suffering from permanent extensive scarring and disfigurement. Defense lawyer Jennifer Brown highlighted Carrero's troubled past, mentioning that he was born prematurely with drugs in his system and abandoned by his biological parents at the hospital. Brown also noted that Carrero's life "fell apart" during the pandemic in 2020, which hindered his ability to attend school.
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(UPDATED June 24, 2026 08:09 UTC)
A man is facing serious charges after allegedly attempting to kill a sleeping homeless man by setting him on fire and leaving him trapped on a moving subway car. Prosecutors described the crime as being “separated from murder by mere chance,” with the victim's life saved only due to the quick response of emergency personnel during a brief trip from Penn Station to Times Square. The early morning fire incident took place on December 1, 2025.
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(UPDATED June 24, 2026 04:23 UTC)
Hiram Carrero, a 19-year-old, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison by Judge Lewis J. Liman, which exceeds the mandatory minimum for arson. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of up to eight years, highlighting Carrero's "heinous actions" that resulted in the victim being critically injured, and they described the crime as "separated from murder by mere chance." Carrero pleaded guilty to the charge of arson in March, admitting to intentionally igniting a piece of paper that caused harm to the victim, while his defense cited his intoxication from alcohol and marijuana at the time.
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(UPDATED June 24, 2026 01:38 UTC)
A New York City high school senior has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for setting fire to a homeless man who was sleeping in a subway car. The victim, who survived the arson attack, was targeted while he was asleep. The teen admitted to the crime, which has drawn significant attention due to its shocking nature.