A New York court has sentenced a 44-year-old man, Felix Rojas, to five years in prison for sexually abusing the body of a deceased passenger aboard a Manhattan subway train.
Rojas was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the disturbing incident involving 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez, who had lost consciousness and died on an R train in April 2025.
According to prosecutors, surveillance footage showed Rojas approaching Gonzalez after noticing that he was unresponsive. Investigators said he proceeded to sexually abuse the victim’s body and later searched through his pockets while other commuters were nearby.
Authorities said the Brooklyn resident surrendered to police about three weeks after the incident, identifying himself after surveillance images released by investigators drew public attention. During questioning, Rojas denied committing the offence.
In addition to the five-year prison sentence, the court ordered that he serve 15 years of supervised release after completing his jail term.
Immigration authorities also disclosed that Rojas is a Mexican national who had previously made multiple attempts to enter the United States unlawfully.
The victim, Jorge Gonzalez, had lived in the United States for nearly 20 years, where he worked a variety of jobs to support relatives in Mexico.
Following the sentencing, members of Gonzalez’s family remembered him as a devoted father and hardworking provider who took on construction, restaurant and service jobs to ensure his loved ones were cared for.
“He was a devoted father and a hardworking man who did everything he could to provide for his family,” relatives said after the court proceedings.
The case attracted widespread attention across the United States due to the shocking nature of the crime and renewed concerns about passenger safety and monitoring within New York City’s transit system.
