CHARLOTTE — The U.S. Department of Justice filed, on Thursday, a criminal complaint and arrest warrant against a suspect accused of stabbing a man Friday on Charlotte’s Blue Line near NoDa.
Oscar Solorzano, 33, who was in the country illegally, stabbed Kenyon Dobie in the chest, according to court documents.
The feds charged Solorzano, who is from Honduras, with re-entry of removed aliens and terrorist attacks or other violence against a mass transportation system.
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The criminal complaint contained images of the attack. The victim, in a red jacket and black pants, is seen toward the back of the train. The suspect is wearing dark pants. Police said Solorzanocaused a scene and walked up to Kenyon Dobie who could be seen in the images pushing Solorzano. One photo shows Solorzano holding a 12-inch knife up to Dobie before stabbing him.
U.S Attorney for the Western District Russ Ferguson, alongside the FBI, announced federal charges against Solorzano Thursday in Charlotte. The federal charges are in addition to the ones he faces locally, including attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon and others.
“I think it’s that these are not discreet crimes, and we have tremendous violence in this city,” Ferguson said. “And there are violent acts all over the city but when they happen on a closed in rail car with closed doors where you can get off. That is a terrifying situation and it’s driving people not to use the infrastructure that as citizens, they pay for.”
Prior criminal history
Solorzano was arrested in 2012 in New Jersey and was convicted of robbery the following year, according to the criminal complaint.
In 2016, the suspect was arrested in Hillsborough County, Florida, for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He stabbed the victim multiple times with a large knife, investigators said.
An order of removal from the U.S. was issued against Solorzano in February 2018. He was departed the next month.
U.S. Border Patrol arrested Solorzano on Dec. 4, 2018, for illegal re-entry. He was convicted on May 2, 2019, and sentenced to 18 months. He was departed again on June 9, 2021.
Recently on Monday, ICE could not find any record that Solorzano was granted permission to apply to get back into the U.S.
Possible gang affiliation
Solorzano may have been tied to a gang, and Ferguson said they are looking into it.
Solorzano has tattoos that are often affiliated with MS-13, and if he has affiliation with them, there would likely be additional charges.
Solorzano is in the Mecklenburg County Jail under no bond.
Victim charged
Dobie is recovering from his injuries. However, he was also charged from an incident Oct. 18 when he allegedly punched a pregnant woman. He was booked into jail on Wednesday night and is under a $2 million bond.
This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates.
Editor’s note: The feds spelled the suspect’s name “Solorzano” in Thursday’s criminal complaint. Channel 9 has obtained several official documents that spell his name differently, most predominantly as “Solarzano.”