A homeless illegal immigrant has been arrested after stabbing a man on the Charlotte Light Rail just days after Iryna Zarutska’s horrific murder. Oscar Solarzano, who was previously deported, has been arrested on charges of first-degree attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury, breaking and entering, carrying a concealed weapon and being intoxicated and disruptive, according to court records, the New York Post reported. He is now being held without bond.
This undated booking photo provided by the Mecklenburg County, N.C., Jail shows Oscar Solarzano, who was charged with stabbing a man on a light-rail train in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Mecklenburg County, N.C., Jail via AP) Who is Oscar Solarzano?
Solarzano, 33, allegedly tried to kill the man on the Charlotte, North Carolina light rail Friday, December 5, around 5 pm. He used a large knife, according to police records.
An illegal immigrant from Honduras, Solarzano is accused of breaking and entering into the light rail train while drunk. He challenged the victim to a fight before stabbing him. The victim sustained serious injuries. Police records showed that Solaezano was shouting and slurring his words.
The victim was hospitalized at Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition, ABC News reported. On records, his address matches a location of The Roof Above homeless shelter.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, claimed in an X post that Solarzano has a criminal history. “ICE lodged a detainer to ensure this criminal illegal is not released back into North Carolina neighborhoods. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the county will honor the detainer since they have a history of not cooperating with @ICEGov,” she wrote.
“His criminal history includes prior arrests for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, destroying evidence, resisting arrest, using a false ID, and convictions for robbery and illegally re-entry,” McLaughlin added.
McLaughlin said that Solarzano was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge in 2018. He was then removed by the Trump Administration on March 9 of the same year.
“He was apprehended illegally crossing the border again in 2021 and was again removed. He entered the country illegally for a THIRD time at an unknown date and location,” McLaughlin wrote.
President Donald Trump blamed the Dems, saying in a Truth Social post, “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!!!”
This attack comes shortly after the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was ambushed and stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train by Decarlos Brown Jr, a career criminal, in August. The 23-year-old woman had fled her war-torn home to seek safety in the US.
Brown, who has been charged with first-degree murder, was arrested several times in the past since 2011 for felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and communicating threats, according to court records obtained by the New York Post. A homeless man, he served five years in prison for the robbery with a deadly weapon charge, WSOC-TV reported. Other previous charges were dropped, per the Charlotte Observer.