Arrest made in Charlotte Blue Line light rail stabbing, records show

Police made an arrest in Friday’s stabbing on a Charlotte light rail train that left a man in critical condition, court records show.

The suspect, 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano, is in the country illegally and was previously removed twice, according to court records filed in Mecklenburg County and a statement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is from Honduras.

The victim was stabbed with a “large fixed blade knife,” according to a police arrest warrant.

Coming less than four months after the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train — which put a national focus on Charlotte — the Friday stabbing was already getting some national attention on Saturday.

Solarzano is charged with felony counts of attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and breaking into a vehicle, and misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon and intoxicated and disruptive behavior, according to the warrant.

The warrant accuses Solarzano of breaking into the light rail train. His address is listed as the Roof Above homeless center.

:Because of confidentiality, the center neither confirms nor denies someone’s Roof Above service history, CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly said.

“One of the basic services Roof Above provides is an address that individuals experiencing homelessness can use,” Nicole Ayers, Roof Above director of communications, told the Observer. “Any individual can list 945 N. College St. as their address, which is the address of our Day Services Center.”

The services center processes 300 to 500 pieces of mail a day for people experiencing homelessness, Ayers said. People also use the address on a government-issued photo ID and with hospitals, the court system and other service providers.

In a statement late Saturday afternoon, CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle said he was disappointed that a verbal dispute escalated into a stabbing. “Individuals who believe public transit can be used as an area to settle grievances through violent altercations are not welcome on our system,” Cagle stated.

Victim in critical but stable condition, police say

Police haven’t said what they believe might have led to the attack, though Charlotte Area Transit System spokesperson Brett Baldeck on Saturday said it appeared to be an “altercation between two individuals that escalated.”

Gov. Josh Stein posted on social media Friday evening that he had spoken with CMPD Chief Estella Patterson about the stabbing and was praying for the victim.

“I am pleased that Chief Patterson was already surging law enforcement throughout Charlotte with Operation Safe Season, and I am grateful to the state law enforcement agencies that are assisting the operation,” Stein said.

Friday, MEDIC and Baldeck confirmed police were investigating a stabbing with serious injury “along the Blue line” of Charlotte’s light rail system.

Police on Friday said a person was stabbed around 4:49 p.m. and taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition.

Police listed the location as the 1800 block of North Brevard Street, which is near or at the 25th Street light rail station.

The stabbing came two weeks after federal Border Patrol agents ended a five-day immigration sweep targeting Charlotte in which they also questioned and detained some U.S. citizens as they confronted people in public spaces like shopping center parking lots and a country club.

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

August stabbing put Charlotte under scrutiny

Concern over safety on Charlotte’s light rail remains following the August stabbing death of Zarutska on a Blue Line train, and pledges by CATS to beef up security.

The death of the Ukrainian immigrant, who was stabbed three times by a mentally ill man who had boarded the train, prompted national outrage and legislation by Republicans in the General Assembly that was signed by Stein, a Democrat, and went into law Dec. 1.

On Sept. 30, the state auditor issued a report saying security gaps in CATS staffing left people vulnerable.

Cagle, in his Saturday statement, said that since the August stabbing, CATS and its partners “have taken a proactive and robust approach to keep employees and passengers as safe as possible.” Those steps include additional off-duty CMPD officers, private security personnel, new technology and safety reporting tools, Cagle said.

“We will not compromise on the safety of our customers and employees,” he added.

CATS spokesperson Baldeck did not directly answer Observer questions about how many security staff were on board the Blue Line at the time of the stabbing nor about current systemwide staffing levels.

On Saturday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on social media his concerns about the Friday stabbing.

“What is it going to take for @CLTMayor to remove violent criminals off the streets and protect her constituents?” Duffy wrote on the site X. “The time to act is NOW.”

Suspect’s deportation history

The White House issued a statement from President Donald Trump on Saturday with a quote from the president: “Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. What’s going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!!”

Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, wrote on social media that the suspect, who she identified as Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, had prior arrests for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, destroying evidence, resisting arrest and using a false ID, and had been convicted of robbery and illegally re-entry.

He was removed from the country in March 2018, as ordered by an immigration judge, was apprehended crossing the border again in 2021 and removed, and then entered the United States a third time at an unknown date, she wrote.

Observer staff writers Julia Coin, Adam Bell and Amber Gaudet contributed.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 6:16 PM.

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Jeff A. Chamer

The Charlotte Observer

Jeff A. Chamer is a breaking news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He’s lived a few places, but mainly in Michigan where he grew up. Before joining the Observer, Jeff covered K-12 and higher education at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts.