Charlotte transit stabbing suspect denied bond
Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, a Honduran national twice deported and accused of allegedly breaking into a Charlotte light-rail car and stabbing a passenger, faces state charges including attempted first-degree murder and federal counts of illegal reentry and committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system. Mecklenburg County did not set bond and plans to transfer him to ICE custody, while the victim, Kenyon Dobie, remains seriously injured with a chest tube draining his lungs and a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $18,000.
📌 Key Facts
- The stabbing occurred on Charlotte light rail on Dec. 5; the victim, identified as Kenyon Dobie, is hospitalized with serious injuries, including a chest tube draining blood from his lungs.
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police verified a GoFundMe for Dobie that has raised nearly $18,000.
- Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia is facing state charges that include attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with serious injury, breaking/entering a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, and intoxicated/disruptive behavior.
- A Mecklenburg County release order states no bond was set because of Solorzano-Garcia’s immigration status and indicates he will be released into ICE custody.
- The Department of Justice filed federal charges against Solorzano-Garcia for illegal reentry and for committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system.
- Prosecutors allege that before the Dec. 5 attack Solorzano-Garcia broke into a rail car while carrying a large fixed-blade knife.
- Officials and public figures reacted: political responses came from President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, while FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson issued statements pledging swift prosecution and emphasizing public safety.
- Reporting traces Solorzano-Garcia’s immigration timeline: first deported in March 2018, illegally reentered in March 2021 in Texas, was deported again under the Biden administration, and later reentered as a reported 'got-away' at an unknown time and location.
📊 Relevant Data
The Hispanic or Latino population in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, increased from 12.1% in 2010 to 14.4% in 2022, with the total population being approximately 1,115,482 in 2022.
Mecklenburg County, NC population by year, race, & more — USAFacts
In Texas, from 2012 to 2018, undocumented immigrants had a homicide arrest rate of 1.9 per 100,000, compared to 4.8 per 100,000 for U.S.-born citizens, while undocumented immigrants comprised an estimated 6% of the Texas population during that period.
Undocumented Immigrant Offending Rate Lower Than U.S.-Born Citizen Offending Rate in Texas — U.S. House of Representatives
Undocumented Hispanic immigrants are significantly less likely to engage in violent crime than U.S. citizens, based on a 2025 study analyzing crime patterns among Hispanic immigrants.
Immigration Status and Crime: A Comparison Between Hispanic Undocumented Immigrants and Citizens — Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Violent crime at light rail stations in Charlotte, NC, increased by 12.1% over a 20-year period ending in recent years, according to a longitudinal analysis.
The line from platform to peril: a longitudinal analysis of crime patterns at light rail stations in Charlotte, NC — Journal of Experimental Criminology
📰 Sources (3)
- DOJ filed federal charges against Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia: one count of illegal reentry and one count of committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system.
- FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson issued statements pledging swift prosecution and emphasizing public safety.
- Additional detail that prior to the Dec. 5 attack, Solorzano allegedly broke into a railroad car while carrying a large fixed-blade knife.
- Timeline specifics: first deported March 2018; illegally re-entered March 2021 in Texas; deported again under the Biden administration; later reentered as a 'got-away' at an unknown time/location.
- Victim identified as Kenyon Dobie describes current condition, including a chest tube draining blood from his lungs.
- CMPD verified a GoFundMe for Dobie, which has raised nearly $18,000.
- Mecklenburg County release order indicates no bond set due to immigration status and that Solarzano will be released into ICE custody.
- Specific charge list reiterated: attempted first-degree murder, AWDW with serious injury, breaking/entering a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, and intoxicated/disruptive behavior.
- Additional political reactions noted from President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.