Oscar Solarzano, a 33-year-old man from Honduras, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly stabbing a man on a light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to police reports, Solarzano attacked the victim, Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie, with a large knife, resulting in serious injuries that required hospitalization. Dobie is currently reported to be in critical but stable condition.

Solarzano has a documented history of illegal reentry into the United States, having been deported twice, first in March 2018 under the Trump administration and again at an unspecified time after reentering during the Biden administration. His criminal record includes prior convictions for robbery and multiple arrests for offenses such as aggravated battery and resisting arrest. On the day of the incident, witnesses reported that Solarzano appeared intoxicated and exhibited aggressive behavior before allegedly breaking into a railroad car with the intent to commit a felony.

This incident follows the stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on the same light rail system just four months earlier, which also involved a suspect with a lengthy criminal history. These violent occurrences have prompted discussions about the safety of public transportation and the broader implications of homelessness and mental health issues in urban settings. The victim, Dobie, was reportedly residing at a local homeless shelter, underscoring the intersection of homelessness, crime, and public safety.

The ongoing challenges related to immigration enforcement and the treatment of vulnerable populations have become focal points in political discourse, with some attributing the rise in violence to current policies and societal conditions. Solarzano is scheduled for a court appearance on December 8 and will be placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the proceedings.