A heroic passenger was left fighting for his life after stepping in to stop a rowdy rider on a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail train. Kenyon Dobie, 24, tried to calm an aggressive man who had been drinking and shouting before being stabbed in the chest.
Attacker with Troubling Past Strikes Again
The assailant, Oscar Solorzano, 33, a Honduran national living illegally in the US, pulled a knife and stabbed Dobie during Friday night’s service. Solorzano had already been deported twice and entered the country illegally a third time, according to Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia Lockwood.
Prosecutors revealed Solorzano’s chilling criminal record at a Monday court hearing. The accused had been banned from the Charlotte light rail system and boasts a history of aggravated battery, robbery, resisting arrest, false ID use, and multiple illegal re-entries.
Police Nab Intoxicated Suspect Shortly After Attack
- Solorzano fled the scene but was caught by police soon after
- He appeared drunk, with bloodshot eyes and strong alcohol smell
- He allegedly confessed to stabbing Dobie when questioned
He now faces serious felony charges, including first-degree attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, breaking, and carrying a concealed weapon. Court documents confirm Solorzano is held without bond.
Victim in Critical Condition, Community Rallies for Support
Kenyon Dobie remains hospitalised in critical condition. On a GoFundMe page titled “Healing Support for Blue Line Stabbing Survivor,” Dobie wrote: “My body has taken plenty of damage. Have a tube running from my chest to a machine pumping blood out of my lungs.”
The fundraiser has raised over £2,300 of its £21,000 goal so far, seeking help with medical bills.
This terrifying attack comes just four months after another fatal incident on the Charlotte light rail, reigniting heated debates over public transit safety and immigration enforcement.
