Charlotte was thrust back into the national spotlight Friday after a man illegally in the country was arrested in connection with a brutal stabbing aboard the city’s light rail system. The incident occurred just hours after Estella Patterson was sworn in as the new chief of police, highlighting renewed concerns over transit safety and immigration enforcement.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano was charged with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon after an attack aboard the Blue Line. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition. Court documents confirmed that Solarzano was in the United States illegally and had previously been deported.
The stabbing reignites tensions surrounding the city’s immigration policies and light rail safety. The attack comes just over 100 days after the stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on a similar train. The suspect in that August 22 incident, Decarlos Brown Jr., had 14 prior arrests dating back to 2011.
The latest violence adds pressure to a city still dealing with fallout from “Charlotte’s Web,” a federal immigration enforcement operation last month that resulted in over 400 arrests. Those arrested had criminal histories including domestic violence, assault, battery, DWI, and hit-and-run offenses.
In response to the Zarutska case, the General Assembly recently passed “Iryna’s Law,” which eliminates cashless bail for violent offenders and reaffirms the death penalty for the most severe crimes. That law went into effect just days before the most recent stabbing.
While Democrat city leaders, including Mayor Vi Lyles and Governor Josh Stein, have championed policies favoring immigrant protections, Republican lawmakers are calling for stronger enforcement. U.S. Reps. Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan, and Chuck Edwards even urged Stein to deploy the National Guard to Charlotte. Stein declined.
With another violent incident now tied to illegal immigration, public safety in Charlotte is once again at the center of a growing political storm.
