The suspect charged Saturday for allegedly stabbing and seriously injuring a man on a Charlotte light rail train the night before was reportedly a previously deported illegal immigrant.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) announced in a Saturday morning X post it charged Oscar Solarzano, 33, with attempted first degree murder and four other charges after he allegedly stabbed Kenyon Dobie in the chest Friday night. The incident took place on the Lynx Blue Line, the same transit line a mentally ill career criminal fatally stabbed Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee from war-torn Ukraine, on Aug. 22. (RELATED: Death Penalty Hearing For Iryna Zarutska’s Alleged Murderer Delayed)
Magistrate Rebecca Howell said Solarzano was in the U.S. illegally and had been, at one point, deported, Charlotte-based ABC affiliate WSOC-TV reported, citing court paperwork. Howell ordered the suspect be held without bond.
The victim was hospitalized with serious injuries and remains in stable condition, ABC News reported Saturday afternoon, citing the Mecklenburg EMS Agency. Solarzano is set to make a court appearance Monday morning, according to WSOC-TV.
“Solarzano was quickly apprehended by officers shortly after the incident occurred. Solarzano was transported to the division office where he was interviewed by detectives,” CMPD wrote on X. “At the conclusion of this interview, Solarzano was transported to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.”
Case Update: Assault with a Deadly Weapon Investigation in the Eastway Division
As a result of the continued investigation, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Eastway Division Detectives identified Oscar Solarzano, 33, as a suspect in connection to this case.…
— CMPD News (@CMPD) December 6, 2025
“Just months ago, Iryna Zarutska was brutally murdered on this very same Charlotte light-rail line. Yet radical pro-crime Democrats still refuse to confront the violent crime epidemic sweeping our city,” Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.
“While families beg for safety and police call for backup, the Left is too busy protesting ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] for daring to remove illegal aliens from our streets. This latest senseless stabbing proves what they desperately want to hide: Democrat policies protect criminals and abandon victims,” Harris, whose district includes part of Charlotte, added.
“Oscar Solarzano was previously deported and then illegally entered our country AGAIN,” Harris wrote in a Saturday afternoon X post. “These are the folks NC’s pro-crime Democrats want to keep on the streets.”
Meet the illegal alien charged with stabbing someone on a Charlotte Light Rail last night.
Oscar Solarzano was previously deported and then illegally entered our country AGAIN.
These are the folks NC’s pro-crime Democrats want to keep on the streets. pic.twitter.com/YXfMnaAkqa
— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) December 6, 2025
Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley, a candidate for North Carolina’s open 2026 U.S. Senate seat, blasted his likely general election opponent, former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, for what he said were policies that led to a rise in crime committed by illegal immigrants.
“This is Roy Cooper’s legacy. While Governor, he BLOCKED legislation which would have forced sheriffs to work with ICE – leaving North Carolinians vulnerable,” wrote Whatley in a Saturday afternoon X post. “From 2019 to 2024, Cooper vetoed EVERY SINGLE bill that would let law enforcement do their job and cooperate with ICE.”
“The result? 500 illegal immigrants with ICE detainers walked free. Some charged with RAPE, KIDNAPPING, and MURDER. Cooper chose criminals over cops,” the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump added in his post. “Cooper created a revolving door for violent criminals, protected illegal aliens, and abandoned North Carolina families. Now he wants to be your Senator?” (RELATED: Michael Whatley Blasts Roy Cooper’s ‘Pro-Criminal’ Policies In North Carolina Senate Race)
A person was viciously stabbed on the Charlotte light rail last night and seriously injured. The suspect? Oscar Solarzano—an illegal alien known to law enforcement.
This is Roy Cooper’s legacy. While Governor, he BLOCKED legislation which would have forced sheriffs to work with… https://t.co/LF9FUmLMxh
— Michael Whatley (@WhatleyNC) December 6, 2025
“Apparently, the death of Iryna Zarutska wasn’t enough,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy wrote on X Saturday morning, prior to reports of the suspect’s identity.
“What is it going to take for [Democratic Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles] to remove violent criminals off the streets and protect her constituents?” Duffy asked. “The time to act is NOW.”
Iryna’s Law, named in honor of the slain refugee, went into effect in North Carolina on Dec. 1. Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed the law, albeit 10 days after the state’s Republican-controlled legislature passed it. The law in part increases the penalty for crimes committed on public transit in South Carolina, such as Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line. It also cracks down on pretrial release for repeat offenders.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched Operation Charlotte’s Web to target criminal illegal immigrants in Charlotte on Nov. 15. The operation led to 81 arrests on its first day alone. As of Dec. 3, at least 425 individuals had been arrested as a result of the operation, Charlotte-based CBS affiliate WBTV reported, citing a DHS spokesperson.
The DCNF reached out to the CMPD for additional comment.
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