Damon Johnson Penn Station Arson (New York, 2026)
Damon Johnson Penn Station Arson (New York, 2026) documents the March 3, 2026 attack in which Damon Johnson, a parolee with 131 prior arrests dating back to 1995, set a homeless man on fire as the victim slept at Penn Station in New York City.
The Attack
On March 3, 2026, just before 9:00 p.m., two men and a woman approached a 37-year-old homeless man who was sleeping or lying in an old taxiway near Penn Station's rotunda area.[1]
Surveillance video captured Damon Johnson, 47, of Brooklyn, crouching and leaning over the victim for some time before walking away. Police believe he set the victim's jacket on fire.[1]
A witness described the scene: "You look up above the escalator, there's a gentleman on fire, flames completely engulfed, he's running back and forth trying to get it out, people are trying to pat him down."[1]
Amtrak police rushed up an escalator to assist. The fire was put out by bystanders and first responders. The victim suffered second-degree burns to his arm and back and was hospitalized.[1]
Johnson was arrested in the immediate aftermath of the crime.[1]
Johnson's Criminal History
Johnson has approximately 131 prior arrests dating back to 1995 in the Bronx.[1][2]
At the time of the attack, he was on parole for a 2018 robbery in which he slashed a student's face and took cash from his pockets. That victim required more than 100 stitches.[1]
Charges
Johnson was charged with:[1]
- Attempted murder
- Assault
- Reckless endangerment
He pleaded not guilty and was held without bail.[1]
A second suspect, Lyla Najjar, 33, of Queens, was arrested on March 5. She was charged with assault. Najjar has five prior arrests.[1]
Significance
- 131 prior arrests over a 31-year period without permanent incapacitation
- On parole at the time for a violent robbery involving facial slashing
- Victim was a sleeping homeless man — among the most vulnerable targets
- The attack occurred at Penn Station, one of the busiest transit hubs in the United States
- Echoes the December 2024 case of Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, who set a sleeping woman on fire on the New York City subway