A Mexican national who was convicted of sexually abusing a dead man’s body on a New York City subway train has been sentenced to five years in prison.
The case drew widespread attention last year after authorities released disturbing details about what happened aboard the train in April 2025. Now Felix Rojas, 44, has learned his punishment.
According to the New York Post, a Manhattan judge sentenced Rojas on Wednesday to five years behind bars for raping and robbing the body of 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez.
Rojas reportedly remained silent during the sentencing hearing and did not address the court.
The details of the case are grim. Prosecutors said Gonzalez boarded the subway and later lost consciousness. He had been dead on a subway bench for nearly three hours before Rojas entered the car.
Rather than alerting police, calling for medical help, or notifying another passenger, Rojas approached the motionless man and began going through his belongings, prosecutors said.
Authorities said Rojas first touched Gonzalez and searched his body. He then pulled down Gonzalez’s pants and sexually violated his corpse.
Court records cited by the Post said Rojas continued searching Gonzalez’s pockets and belongings during the assault.
Prosecutors said Rojas appeared aware enough of his surroundings to stop whenever the train neared a station or when other riders entered the car. When passengers got on, he would allegedly sit down and act as though nothing was happening.
The assault continued after those passengers left, according to prosecutors. At one point, Rojas moved Gonzalez’s body from the bench onto the floor of the subway car.
A transit worker later discovered Gonzalez dead and contacted authorities.
Rojas turned himself in roughly three weeks later, after surveillance images from the subway had been released to local media.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Rojas is a Mexican national who had entered the United States illegally multiple times, with his first known illegal entry dating back to 1998.
DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed an immigration detainer on Rojas after his arrest.
The Post reported that his sentence also includes 15 years of supervised release once he gets out of prison. After that, ICE is expected to seek his deportation.
The case is another reminder of the tensions surrounding New York City’s sanctuary policies, especially when violent or grotesque crimes involve illegal immigrants. Local officials have often resisted cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and critics argue that those policies can make it harder for ICE to remove offenders from the country.
In this case, Rojas will first serve his prison sentence. What happens afterward will likely depend on whether immigration authorities are able to take custody of him once he is released.
Five years in prison? The pervert should be shot!