Police say the 33-year-old suspect was previously deported; the victim remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 33-year-old man was charged Saturday in a stabbing aboard Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line that left a rider gravely wounded Friday afternoon near the 25th Street Station, police said, marking the transit system’s second major knife attack since late summer.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police identified the suspect as Oscar Solarzano and said he faces attempted first-degree murder and related charges after a man was stabbed in the chest as the northbound train approached the NoDa-area stop on Dec. 5. Investigators said Solarzano appeared intoxicated and was taken into custody soon after the attack. The case has drawn swift political attention and a federal immigration hold, intensifying scrutiny of security on the city’s light rail and reviving debate that followed an August killing on the same system.
Officers were called at about 4:50 p.m. Friday to reports of a stabbing on a train near North Brevard and 25th streets. Paramedics took the victim to a hospital with life-threatening injuries; police said Saturday he was in critical but stable condition. Court records state Solarzano had been shouting at riders and challenging the victim to a fight before the stabbing. He was arrested a short time later and booked into the Mecklenburg County jail. Police said he is being held without bond for now and is expected to make an initial court appearance Monday.
Along with attempted first-degree murder, Solarzano is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, breaking and entering a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, and intoxicated and disruptive behavior, according to police and court filings. Federal officials said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Solarzano because he had previously been deported and is in the country without legal status. “We have lodged a detainer to ensure he is not released back into North Carolina neighborhoods,” Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. It was not immediately clear whether Solarzano had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Friday’s attack unfolded less than four months after 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a Blue Line train on Aug. 22, a killing that shocked the city and prompted state and federal reviews of transit security. In that earlier case, authorities charged Decarlos Brown Jr. with first-degree murder and later announced a federal indictment alleging violence on a mass transportation system. In the weeks that followed, transit officials outlined new steps including additional patrols using bike and utility-terrain vehicle units, closer coordination with police, and tighter fare enforcement across the open-access light rail network. State and federal agencies have also pressed Charlotte Area Transit System leaders for detailed safety plans.
Police have not released the name of Friday’s victim or said what led to the confrontation beyond the reported shouting on board. Detectives said they are reviewing train video, interviewing witnesses, and reconstructing the sequence of events between the 25th Street and surrounding stations. Nearby residents reported a heavy emergency response minutes after the call. One neighbor said he heard multiple sirens and saw officers swarming the rail corridor as the train was held at the platform. The agency temporarily paused service in the area while crews secured the scene and transported the victim.
City leaders have been under pressure to show progress on transit safety since August. Officials have said it is not feasible to post armed guards on every rail car but pledged to increase mobile coverage and strengthen coordination with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. An earlier audit found the number of armed security officers assigned to the light rail had fallen in recent years even as costs rose, prompting questions about contracting and oversight. After Friday’s stabbing, critics renewed calls for tougher enforcement and faster reforms, while others cautioned against politicizing the case as investigators worked to document what happened and why.
Federal immigration officials said the detainer means Solarzano would be transferred to ICE custody if he were to be released from the county jail, though Mecklenburg authorities have not said how they will handle the request. The district attorney’s office will decide whether to seek a grand jury indictment on the attempted murder count and related charges. Police said anyone who was on the train around 4:45–5 p.m. Friday near the 25th Street Station and has not spoken to detectives can contact the department’s violent crimes unit. A routine jail first appearance is expected Monday, Dec. 8, when a judge could address bond and appoint counsel.
As of Saturday evening, trains were running on their regular schedule, and police maintained an increased presence along the Blue Line corridor. Riders filtered through the 25th Street platform, some pausing to look at dried markings from investigators or to trade stories about the sudden stop a day earlier. “I heard all the sirens and saw police and Medic rush in,” said Doug Bartholomew, who lives nearby. “It was fast, and then it got quiet. People just want to feel safe riding again.” A spokesperson for the transit agency said additional officers would remain visible through the weekend.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not announced a motive. The victim’s condition will be updated as doctors assess his recovery. Solarzano remains jailed ahead of his first court hearing on Monday, Dec. 8, where prosecutors are expected to outline the case and next steps.
Author note: Last updated Saturday, December 6, 2025.