A 33-year-old man has been charged in connection with a Charlotte light rail stabbing that left a passenger seriously injured on Friday afternoon, police said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police identified the suspect as Oscar Solarzano, who is facing five counts, including attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and carrying a concealed weapon.
Officers responding to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at about 4:49 p.m. found a male victim with a stab wound near North Brevard Street and East 22nd Street, where the train appeared to have stopped between stations on the city’s LYNX Blue Line.
The victim was taken to Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital with serious injuries and was later listed in stable condition, according to the Mecklenburg EMS Agency.
Arrest and charges after train attack
Police said Solarzano was apprehended by officers shortly after the stabbing and taken to a division office, where detectives interviewed him before transferring him to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held without bond, according to court and jail records cited by local media.
In addition to attempted first-degree murder, Solarzano’s charges include assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and offences related to weapons and conduct on the rail system, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and court documents.
The attack occurred on a Blue Line train heading through the NoDa and Optimist Park area. Video from the scene showed a train stopped with police tape visible inside one of the carriages and on the platform, as officers investigated and passengers were escorted away.
DHS: Suspect is a Honduran national previously removed from the US
The Charlotte light rail stabbing has also drawn attention because of the suspect’s immigration history. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Solarzano is a native of Honduras who was in the United States illegally and had twice been removed from the country.
In a post on X, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said Solarzano was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge in 2018 and deported that March. He was apprehended crossing the border illegally again in 2021 and removed a second time, she said, adding that he later re-entered the country illegally for a third time at an unknown date and location.
Local reports say Solarzano is believed to have been homeless and intoxicated at the time of the attack, and that an arrest warrant alleges he entered the rail car intoxicated, shouted at other passengers and challenged the victim to a fight before the stabbing.
Letitia James Faces Federal Charges of Mortgage Fraud Amid Backlash
Second serious stabbing on Charlotte light rail this year
Friday’s Charlotte light rail stabbing comes just months after a separate, deadly knife attack on the same transit system that drew national attention and prompted calls for stronger security.
On 22 August, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed while riding the Blue Line in Charlotte’s South End. Police said the attack appeared unprovoked. The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder.
Brown has since been indicted on federal charges of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, which could make him eligible for the death penalty, in addition to state murder charges.
The earlier case sparked intense debate over transit safety, homelessness and mental health in Charlotte, with city leaders pledging more police presence on trains and at stations. Riders and relatives of victims have repeatedly urged officials to put security officers on every train, particularly after dark.
Friday’s stabbing is likely to renew scrutiny of those measures and raise further questions about how to prevent violence on mass transit systems where passengers are, by design, confined in close quarters.
Police appeal for witnesses
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say the investigation into the latest Charlotte light rail stabbing is ongoing and are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, captured video or has information about what led up to the attack to come forward.
Tips can be shared with Charlotte Crime Stoppers by calling 704-334-1600, using the P3 Tips mobile app or visiting the Charlotte Crime Stoppers website. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.
As the victim continues to recover in the hospital, transit users and officials alike are grappling with the reality that the Blue Line — a key artery for commuters, students and workers — has now been the scene of two serious stabbings in a matter of months.
Sources:
AP News – “Man wounded in 2nd stabbing attack on North Carolina commuter train since August”
Spectrum News – “1 wounded in stabbing along Charlotte light rail”
