Police in North Carolina have made an arrest following a violent stabbing aboard a commuter train in Charlotte, marking the second such serious knife attack on the city's rail system in just under four months.
Details of the Latest Attack
Oscar Solarzano, aged 33, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon, when Solarzano is alleged to have wielded a large knife against another passenger.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, the victim sustained a serious stab wound and was rushed to hospital. Authorities confirmed he was in a critical but stable condition following the assault.
An arrest warrant indicates that Solarzano appeared to be intoxicated at the time, slurring his words before challenging the victim to a fight. He is being held in jail without bond.
Suspect's Immigration Status Revealed
Court documents have revealed a significant detail about the accused. A magistrate judge noted in a filing that Solarzano was in the United States illegally and had previously been deported from the country.
He is scheduled for a hearing on Monday morning in Mecklenburg County District Court. Online records did not list a defence attorney for Solarzano as of Saturday.
A Disturbing Pattern on Charlotte's Rails
This latest act of violence casts a grim shadow, coming less than four months after a fatal stabbing on the same commuter network. In August, Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in an apparently random attack captured on video.
Her family shared that she had been living in a bomb shelter in Ukraine before coming to the U.S. to escape the war. A suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., has been charged with first-degree murder in a North Carolina state court for her death. He also faces a federal indictment for causing death on a mass transportation system.
The proximity of these two severe incidents is raising urgent questions about safety and security on public transport in the Charlotte area, leaving commuters concerned and authorities under pressure to respond.
