United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that HIRAM CARRERO was sentenced to 66 months in prison for setting fire to a man who was sleeping on a New York City subway car. CARRERO previously pled guilty to arson on March 5, 2026, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.

"Setting fire to another person is a breathtaking, horrific, and unconscionable crime," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "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. Subway safety is front of mind for our Office, the NYPD, and our federal partners. Today's sentence demonstrates that anyone who terrorizes New Yorkers on the subway or anywhere else will face swift justice."

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:

In the early morning hours of December 1, 2025, CARRERO boarded a New York City subway car at the 34^th Street - Penn Station subway stop. He picked up a piece of paper (depicted in the screenshot below) and used it to set fire to a man asleep on the train. CARRERO stepped back onto the platform as the doors closed, leaving the victim locked inside the car to burn as the train departed.

Video from inside the train car shows that as the train traveled north towards the next station, the fire flared up, engulfing the victim's legs and a portion of the train car in flames. When the train arrived at 42^nd Street - Times Square, the victim emerged, burning from the train (depicted in a screenshot below).

Minutes later, first responders at the station rushed to extinguish the flames. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition after sustaining life-threatening injuries from the fire.

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In addition to his prison sentence, CARRERO, 19, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York City Police Department and the New York City Fire Department Fire Marshals.

The case is being handled by the Office's General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Molis is in charge of the prosecution.