A 2019 High School Student Charged With Arson After Allegedly Setting Fire That Burned Subway Passenger Has Been Rejoined for Murder.
Federal prosecutors are seeking to add murder charges against Hiram Carrero, who they say deliberately set a fire that severely burned a sleeping subway passenger on Monday morning. The federal charge was added after prosecutors claimed that the 56-year-old man would have died if not for the efforts of police officers and emergency responders, according to sources familiar with the case.
Carrero's lawyers had initially argued that he should be released from home confinement with electronic monitoring and required to undergo a mental health evaluation. However, US District Judge Valerie E. Caproni denied their request, saying it was "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 faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of federal arson charges and now also faces new murder charges. The latest incident is the latest in a string of similar attacks, with prosecutors claiming that Carrero's actions may be linked to other recent incidents across the country.
Prosecutors claim that Carrero stepped onto the subway train briefly, lit a piece of paper on fire and then fled while the passenger lay burning. He was arrested in Harlem and is now being held without bail.
The victim suffered serious burns but is expected to survive. His condition has not been disclosed.
Federal prosecutors are seeking to add murder charges against Hiram Carrero, who they say deliberately set a fire that severely burned a sleeping subway passenger on Monday morning. The federal charge was added after prosecutors claimed that the 56-year-old man would have died if not for the efforts of police officers and emergency responders, according to sources familiar with the case.
Carrero's lawyers had initially argued that he should be released from home confinement with electronic monitoring and required to undergo a mental health evaluation. However, US District Judge Valerie E. Caproni denied their request, saying it was "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 faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of federal arson charges and now also faces new murder charges. The latest incident is the latest in a string of similar attacks, with prosecutors claiming that Carrero's actions may be linked to other recent incidents across the country.
Prosecutors claim that Carrero stepped onto the subway train briefly, lit a piece of paper on fire and then fled while the passenger lay burning. He was arrested in Harlem and is now being held without bail.
The victim suffered serious burns but is expected to survive. His condition has not been disclosed.
this is just insane! Like what's wrong with people these days? 18 years old setting fires on subways?! I'm all for mental health evaluations, but releasing him back into society right now? No way! He's gotta face the consequences of his actions and get some real help. Seven years in prison sounds like a slap on the wrist to me 
. And what's with these other attacks being linked together? It's like he's trying to make a statement or something 
. The fact that the victim is expected to survive doesn't change the fact that this was a preventable tragedy and someone needs to take responsibility for it. Justice should be served 
. An 18-year-old high school student setting a fire on a subway that severely burns someone... what was he thinking? 
It's one thing to make mistakes, but intentionally putting someone's life in danger is another story altogether 
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I'm not buying the mental health evaluation excuse either, there are plenty of resources available for people struggling with their minds. It's all about taking responsibility and being accountable for your actions.
Is our society just losing its grip on young people? I'm not sure what the answer is, but it's clear we need to do something about it. We can't keep letting this kind of behavior slide. 
. And now they're adding murder charges? That's just a whole 'nother level of crazy.
. Shows like "Law & Order" and "CSI" made you feel like the system was on top of things, but cases like this one show how far we still have to go in terms of justice and rehabilitation.
? I mean, what were his parents thinking? Shouldn't they have seen the red flags or something? It's a real question mark at this point. Anyway, here's to hoping that justice is served and Carrero gets the help he needs (or should've gotten) back in the day 
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18-year-old Hiram Carrero faces up to 7 years in prison for federal arson charges... 
and now murder charges too? 
This is crazy! He's still a teen, supposed to be learning and growing, but instead he sets someone on fire and tries to escape. What's going on with our youth these days?
. it's crazy he's still in high school, what even is wrong with kids these days?!
. But at the same time, like... what about Carrero's mental state? Did he really have to go through all that because of some issues or something? And why are they adding murder charges now? Like, didn't we already know it was arson? 
...
he's only 18 and already on trial for murder i mean what were his parents thinking letting him walk around at 3am? the fact that he set a fire on the subway and almost killed some dude is just sick 
... it just goes to show how quickly things can spiral outta control... so yeah, addin' murder charges might seem harsh, but who's to say that person wouldn't've died anyway? 
. And what about the fact that no one died from the subway attack? Shouldn't that count for something? It just seems like prosecutors are trying to get a conviction no matter what 
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