In the early hours of Monday morning, a horrifying incident on a Manhattan subway train left a 56-year-old passenger badly burned when a fire was set inside the carriage. According to authorities, the suspect — a high school senior — ignited a piece of paper and dropped it near the victim, triggering flames that engulfed the man’s lower body and torso, prompting a rushed hospitalisation.
Eyewitness video and surveillance images show the victim stumbling out at the next station, legs and clothes on fire, before officers rushed to extinguish the blaze and rush him to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Teen Charged, Detained After Arrest — Faces Arson & More
Later that week, police arrested 18-year-old Hiram Carrero in Harlem. He was arraigned on federal arson charges and several other counts, including attempted murder and assault.
Although a magistrate judge had initially approved home confinement under his mother’s supervision, a federal judge overturned the decision — citing the “heinousness” of the crime — and ordered Carrero held in pretrial detention.
Prosecutors argue that the attack, carried out around 3 a.m. on a northbound subway train at the 34th Street–Penn Station stop, was completely unprovoked; the victim was unconscious when the fire began.
Community Shock and Ongoing Investigation
The incident has rattled commuters and city officials alike — especially as it follows a series of similar attacks across subway systems in recent months.
Police and federal authorities are continuing their investigation under the auspices of a joint Arson and Explosives Task Force. Meanwhile, safety concerns around public transit usage have resurfaced, with many demanding increased surveillance and patrols on late-night trains.
