NYC high school student who set homeless man on fire on subway sentenced to 5.5 years in federal prison

Carrero, of New York, New York, was convicted in March after pleading guilty to arson. He was sentenced by US District Court Judge Lewis Liman for the Southern District of New York.

"Setting fire to another person is a breathtaking, horrific, and unconscionable crime," said US Attorney Jay Clayton in a press release. "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 court documents, Carrero boarded a NYC subway car at the 34th Street-Penn Station subway stop on December 1, 2025. He was captured on surveillance video picking up a piece of paper, which he used to set the man on fire who was asleep on the train.

Photo courtesy: Department of Justice

Carerro exited the train as the doors closed and left the victim locked inside the car to burn as the train departed, court documents state. The train departed for the next station, at which time the victim emerged in flames. The victim burned for several minutes before first responders arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition and sustained life-threatening injuries.

Photo courtesy: Department of Justice

At sentencing, Carrero took ownership of the attack, describing it as "senseless" and "inexplicable," per Fox News. Defense Attorney Jennifer Brown asked the judge for leniency on claims that Carrero suffers from "neurodevelopmental impairment" due to his mother's drug use while she was pregnant with him.

The defendant will serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence.

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