NEW YORK (AP) – Hiram Carrero, an 18-year-old high school senior from New York City, was arrested on Friday on a federal arson charge after allegedly setting a fire that severely injured a sleeping subway passenger. Authorities say the incident occurred early Monday morning on a northbound 3 train at the 34th Street-Penn Station stop, a busy area near Madison Square Garden and Macy's flagship store.
During his arraignment in Manhattan federal court, Carrero was not required to enter a plea. The fire is part of a disturbing trend of incidents involving people being set ablaze on public transit across the United States. U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni ordered Carrero to be detained, citing the heinousness of the crime. This decision came after prosecutors appealed a previous ruling by Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger, who had suggested releasing Carrero to home confinement under his mother's supervision.
Judge Caproni expressed disbelief regarding Carrero being out at 3 a.m. engaged in such dangerous behavior, questioning, "It’s hard for me to understand why an 18-year-old young man who’s in high school is out at 3 o’clock in the morning setting people on fire."
Carrero is accused of igniting a piece of paper and dropping it near a 56-year-old passenger who was sleeping at the time. The fire caused severe injuries, resulting in the passenger stumbling off the train at the next station, 42nd Street-Times Square, with his legs and torso engulfed in flames. Surveillance images reveal the incident, and emergency responders quickly extinguished the fire. The injured passenger was transported to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Prosecutor Cameron Molis indicated that the victim “very well could have died in this case.”
Arrested in Harlem on Thursday, Carrero’s attorney mentioned that he lives with his disabled mother and acts as her primary caregiver. She attended the arraignment but chose not to speak to reporters. According to the criminal complaint, Carrero briefly boarded the train, lit the fire, and fled the station, taking a bus back home while the victim was lying in agony.
If convicted, Carrero faces a minimum prison sentence of seven years. A preliminary hearing is set for January 4, though this may be canceled if prosecutors present the case to a grand jury for an indictment beforehand. Carrero's lawyer, Jennifer Brown, acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations while arguing for his release, highlighting his young age and clean criminal record.
Prior to Judge Caproni's decision, Magistrate Judge Lehrburger had agreed to release Carrero under strict conditions including electronic monitoring, mental health evaluation, and drug testing. During the hearing, Brown referenced news reports that suggested investigators were exploring the possibility that the passenger may have set himself on fire.
Carrero's case is being handled in federal court because it was investigated by a specialized federal task force, the New York Arson and Explosives Task Force, which collaborates with local police and fire departments. He has not faced charges at the state level.
Authorities tracked Carrero using video footage from the incident, comparing it to body-worn camera footage from a previous encounter with police in October when he was stopped for riding his bicycle through a red light while delivering for Uber Eats. Investigators noted that Carrero and the alleged victim shared distinctive characteristics such as a similar mustache, clothing, and a backpack.
Recent trends indicate a rise in violent incidents on public transportation. Last month, federal prosecutors in Chicago charged a man for pouring gasoline on a woman and setting her on fire. Additionally, a tragic incident occurred in December 2024, when a sleeping woman on a stopped subway train in Brooklyn was killed after a stranger ignited her clothing.
