Midtown subway arson: Suspect who set homeless man ablaze on 3 train remains at large

Police released surveillance images Wednesday of the Midtown subway arson suspect whom they believe set a sleeping homeless man ablaze on Monday.

According to police sources, the 56-year-old victim was dozing on the Harlem-bound 3 train just after 3 a.m. on Dec. 2 as the train pulled into the 34th Street-Penn Station Subway.

Law enforcement sources said the suspect quickly stepped into the train and set the man ablaze before fleeing and boarding another train.

An MTA conductor spotted the victim staggering out of the 3 train with his lower body engulfed in flames and immediately dialed 911.

A search is underway for the arsonist who set fire to a sleeping homeless man on board a subway train in Midtown early on Monday morning, Dec. 1, 2025.Photo by Robert Pozarycki

Officers from the Midtown North Precinct and NYPD Transit District 1 responded to the scene. EMS rushed the victim to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center for what police described as significant burn injuries.

The attack reportedly left the victim confused, as he told police that he was set on fire by a stranger, then recanted the statement while hospitalized.

However, when detectives checked surveillance footage of the station, they confirmed that a perpetrator had set the fire.

Police described the arsonist as wearing a grey jacket, black hat, black pants, black boots and carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.