This incident comes less than four months after a deadly stabbing on the Blue Line claimed the life of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man is in custody after a reported stabbing on the Charlotte Area Transit System Blue Line light rail early Friday evening, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.
Medic confirmed it responded around 5 p.m. near the stop along North Brevard Street and East 25th Street. One person was being treated for serious injuries, according to the agency. On Saturday morning, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed detectives identified 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano as a suspect.
CMPD said Solarzano was “quickly apprehended” after the stabbing and taken to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, where he was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, and intoxicated and disruptive.
Court records indicate Solarzano was intoxicated on the light rail train and challenged the victim to a fight, and was shouting at others prior to the stabbing. His address was listed as an address matching the Roof Above shelter. Court documents noted that no bond was set for him, saying he is in the country illegally and “has been deported previously.”
A WCNC Charlotte photographer who arrived at the scene on Friday saw crime scene tape set up around a set of rail cars, which were stopped on the tracks. A bus bridge was in place for the duration of the service interruption. WCNC Charlotte viewer Lindsay shared a video from the scene, showing the victim being wheeled away by paramedics.
Gov. Josh Stein shared he had spoken with newly sworn-in CMPD Chief Estella Patterson about the incident as well.
This incident comes less than four months after a deadly stabbing on the Blue Line claimed the life of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. While Charlotte city leaders have begun implementing safety changes, riders have reported crimes while making use of the light rail.
A woman who was on the light rail during the Dec. 5 incident told WCNC Charlotte that it stemmed from a verbal argument that escalated quickly. She asked to remain anonymous and spoke to us over the phone.
“I heard people starting to scream scream ‘he has a knife, they’re fighting,’” she said, “and then [the victim who was stabbed] started walking towards the side I was sitting on, holding his chest where he got stabbed.”
The witness said she and others on the train were able to get away quickly.
“I was able to see the emergency lever, so I pulled it and the doors opened, and that stopped the train and I jumped off,” she said.
Hallie Piester, a NoDa resident, is shaken by the incident; her husband almost took the Blue Line home but missed the train.
“I have been physically shaken since I heard this is another stabbing, this is absolutely horrifying, and people should not have to live in fear that we are one stroke of bad luck away from being the next victim,” she said. “This is why we need security on every single train after dark.”
Interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle offered this statement on Saturday, a day after the incident:
“We are disappointed that a verbal altercation escalated to the point of a stabbing incident on a Blue Line train Friday evening. Through close collaboration between CATS private security team (PSS) and CMPD, a suspect was apprehended swiftly following the incident. Since August, CATS, together with our partners, have taken a proactive and robust approach to keep employees and passengers as safe as possible by deploying additional off-duty CMPD officers, private security personnel, new technology and safety reporting tools. Violence has no place in our community, including on public transit. Individuals who believe public transit can be used as an area to settle grievances through violent altercations are not welcome on our system. We will continue to work with our partners at CMPD as well as our private security team to ensure everyone rides appropriately on public transit. We will not compromise on the safety of our customers and employees.”
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles also offered a statement Saturday:
“Everyone deserves to be and feel safe in our city, and there is no room for violence in our community. We have invested heavily in increasing security on our transit system and CMPD has been proactive in increasing its presence across our city, including announcing a new multi-agency effort this week. There are several aspects of public safety that are outside of the city’s jurisdiction, including immigration policy and enforcement, but we will continue to focus on public safety and ensuring a safe and vibrant community.”
Contact Siobhan Riley at sriley@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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