18-year-old accused of setting man’s pants on fire on subway at Penn Station NYC to face federal charges
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) — A teen accused of setting a 56-year-old man on fire while he rode the No. 3 train on Dec. 1 is facing a federal arson charge.
The NYPD arrested Hiram Carrero, 18, on Thursday. He appeared before a federal judge in Lower Manhattan on Friday, where a federal prosecutor said he faces a minimum of seven years.
As his mother sat in the courtroom, district judge, Valerie Caproni, decided to hold Carrero without bail, citing the heinous nature of the crime.
This overruled the decision of the magistrate judge, Robert Lehrburger, who ordered him released.
The 56-year-old victim was asleep on a 3 train when, around 3 a.m. Monday, the suspect walked into the car at 34th Street-Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, according to police. Surveillance images released in the federal complaint show the victim completely alone in the subway car.
Carrero allegedly approached the victim and set his legs on fire, investigators said. Carrero then allegedly fled the train right when the doors were closing, according to the complaint.
The victim was still covered in flames when he exited the subway car at Times Square, the next stop, the complaint said. Surveillance footage showed him sitting on the platform with flames rising from his upper legs.
Law enforcement responded and extinguished the blaze and then rushed the victim to a hospital in critical condition, the complaint said.
Police say the burns were so bad that they found charred skin in the seat where the victim was sitting.
On Thursday, police announced Carrero was arrested on state charges including attempted murder.
Carrero had nothing to say as he was walked out of the 9th precinct in handcuffs on Thursday.
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