An investigation is underway after a reported stabbing early Friday evening along the CATS Blue Line in Charlotte.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, just before 5 p.m., officers found a man with a stab wound on the 1800 block of North Brevard Street in the Eastway Division. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for serious injuries, according to the agency. He is in critical but stable condition.
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Through their initial investigation, CMPD arrested 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano in connection to this stabbing. He was apprehended by officers shortly after the incident occurred.
Kenyon Dobie, the victim, told WRAL News he saw Solarzano yelling at an older woman before Solarzano handed his bike to another passenger and said "I'm about to show you who I really am."
"I wasn't trying to be a macho man," Dobie said in a TikTok post from his hospital room. "But what I won't allow is you to attack random people for no reason, especially the the elderly."
Dobie said he jumped up and told Solarzano to leave everyone alone. Dobie claims that Solarzano then grabbed his hands and stabbed him as he tried to grab him back.
Dobie told WRAL News from his hospital bed that he pulled the knife out, began coughing up blood and eventually passed out. Dobie added that Solarzano ran and got off the train.
"I guess it's better off that it happened to me and not an older person," Dobie said.
He added that he had no regrets jumping in and if he had to, he'd do it again.
"Halfway on the ride, [I noticed] that were were no security guards, and I noticed that there wasn't going to be any," Dobie said. "Somebody would have to do something. I didn't want to see anybody else get hurt, I didn't want him to get hurt either."
Solarzano was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with deadly weapon to inflict serious injury, breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon and intoxication while being disruptive.
His arrest warrant states that he entered a CATS railroad car and "contained things of value, with the intent to commit a felony." The warrant also added that Solarzano was disruptive and intoxicated in a public place, and challenged the stabbing victim to a fight after cursing and shouting at others in the car using "unintelligible and slurred words."
According to court documents obtained by WRAL News, no bond was set for Solarzano because authorities could not determine if he was in the country illegally.
Solarzano is to be questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He is expected to appear in court for the first time on Monday at 10 a.m.
Governor Josh Stein said he has already spoke with Charlotte Police Chief Estella Patterson about the situation.
Friday's reported stabbing comes after the August 2025 fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail car.
