Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, an immigrant from Honduras, has been arrested in connection with a train stabbing incident in Charlotte. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Homeland Security
A man from Honduras has been arrested and charged in connection with a second train stabbing incident in North Carolina, four months after a separate stabbing death of a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman received national attention.
Oscar Solarzano, 33, was arrested by police in Charlotte and charged Saturday with attempted first-degree murder and four other counts, according to Mecklenburg District Court records.
Solarzano is accused of using a large, fixed-blade knife to stab Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie, 24, on board a light rail train Friday, the court records show.
Dobie was taken to a local hospital, where he is in critical but stable condition, USA Today reported, citing police.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Saturday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an arrest detainer, which is a request for local police to hold an illegal immigrant until the agency can take custody of them.
Federal authorities noted that Solarzano has a criminal history that includes prior arrests for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and destroying evidence with convictions for robbery and illegal re-entry.
“This heinous stabbing by this twice removed illegal alien should have never happened. ICE lodged an arrest detainer to ensure Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia is not released back into North Carolina neighborhoods,” Kristi Noem said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the county will honor the detainer since they have a history of not cooperating with ICE.”
Homeland Security officials noted that an immigration judge previously issued a final order of removal in 2018 and that he was deported by the first administration of President Donald Trump.
