The Charlotte Area Transit System released a letter Wednesday answering a list of questions about Friday’s stabbing on the Blue Line, including about people banned from transit.
KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH
Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
The Charlotte Area Transit System said there is “no practical way” to identify passengers who are banned from riding public transportation after a stabbing on the Blue Line light rail Friday.
In a letter signed by interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle, the agency also doubled down Wednesday on its previous statements that staffing every train car with security at all hours of the day would not be feasible. CATS has pledged in recent months to dramatically increase its fare enforcement efforts and bolster security presence.
Oscar Solarzano, a 33-year-old Honduran man who is in the country illegally and banned from Charlotte’s public transit, was being disruptive and using profanities while riding the Blue Line, according to the letter. Solarzano is suspected of stabbing another passenger who told him to be quiet.
The incident is the second high-profile stabbing to happen on the light rail since August, when Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was killed.
Security on Charlotte transit
Security was not present on either train at the time of the incidents, according to CATS. Officers were working elsewhere in the CATS system on Friday, according to the letter. Staffing every train during all operation hours would require an additional 10,240 work hours per week and 256 officers daily, Cagle said in his letter.
“Security personnel do not ride each train car and each bus around the clock throughout each shift. That approach is not a best practice and there is not a major transit agency in the country that operates that way,” CATS said.
The letter urged passengers to report suspicious behavior.
CATS does not know whether Solarzano purchased a ticket but presumes he did not, according to the letter. However, the agency said he was not allowed on city transit at the time of the stabbing.
CATS data error
Solarzano received a one-year “exclusion” on Oct. 8 for a weapons violation on city property. He received an additional six-month “exclusion” on Oct. 9 for public intoxication.
Officers who responded to the Oct. 9 incident were not aware of the weapons violation “due to a data entry error that occurred during CATS training,” according to the letter. Solarzano otherwise would have received an indefinite exclusion.
Still, an exclusion has limited power. CATS said it serves as “a legal restriction, not a physical barrier.”
“It gives CATS the authority to remove or cite someone, but it doesn’t by itself prevent boarding,” the letter said.
There is no automatic system to prevent somebody with an active ban from entering transit property. The light rail operates on an open system, meaning there aren’t barriers like turnstiles or ticket checks that might flag when a passenger violates an exclusion.
“Tens of thousands of people ride CATS vehicles every day and monitoring everyone entering the system is not feasible at this time as there is no practical way to identify an excluded individual as they board,” the letter said.
CATS said even closed transit systems have no mechanism to block excluded passengers from boarding.
The agency is exploring facial recognition technology to help identify excluded individuals, according to CATS.
A video of the incident cannot be released at this time due to an ongoing investigation, CATS said.
CATS safety plan
CATS shared its security and public safety plan, which was updated on Sept. 24, 2025, just over a month after the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska. The plan provided a breakdown of the “numerous proactive measures” the agency had taken in recent years to improve security.
This included boosting spending on security from $5.8 million in 2023 to $18.4 million in 2025 and consolidating all security to Professional Security Services. CATS also upgraded its camera system and looked into new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve surveillance and responsiveness.
The nine-pager also laid out the agency’s immediate, mid-term and long-term security plans and changes, especially following Zarutska’s death. It also explained CATS’ effort to enforce fares, increasing more security personnel across the transit system, and plans for updating technology and facilities.
Nick Sullivan covers the City of Charlotte for The Observer. He studied journalism at the University of South Carolina, and he previously covered education for The Arizona Republic and The Colorado Springs Gazette.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged in a criminal complaint with committing a terrorist attack or other violence on a mass transportation system — a federal offense rather than a state offense.
Andrew Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said the 26-year-old victim was minding her own business and reading her phone on an O’Hare-bound Blue Line train around 9 p.m. Monday when Reed came up and set her on fire with no provocation whatsoever.
“The surveillance video is difficult to watch, and very disturbing, as a young woman was set ablaze, and tried to put herself out, while other passengers got out of the way or watched,” Boutros said.
Chicago police investigators obtained surveillance footage from Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train car No. 3236, which showed the victim sitting on a seat in the middle of the train car, according to a federal court affidavit. Reed was sitting in the back of the same train car.
Lawrence Reed, and a woman he is accused of setting on fire, both seen seated on a Blue Line train car.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
The surveillance footage showed Reed standing up with a bottle in hand, walking up to the victim — who was seated with her back toward him — and pouring a liquid from the bottle all over her body. Reed then tried to ignite the liquid, the affidavit said.
Lawrence Reed stands up and approaches a woman he is accused of setting on fire on a Blue Line train car.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Lawrence Reed pours liquid on a woman he is accused of setting on fire on a Blue Line train car.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Lawrence Reed pours liquid on a woman he is accused of setting on fire on a Blue Line train car.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
At first, the victim fought off Reed and ran to the front of the train, the affidavit said. But Reed chased her and dropped the bottle on the floor, the affidavit said.
The victim then ran to the rear of the train car, the affidavit said.
Lawrence Reed comes at a woman with a flaming bottle on a Blue Line train car. He is accused of setting the woman on fire.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Reed then picked up the bottle, which was now on fire, the affidavit said. He approached the victim, set her on fire using the bottle, and stood and watched as he body was engulfed in flames, the affidavit said.
The woman, who was almost fully engulfed in flames, tried to put out the fire by rolling on the floor of the train car, the affidavit said. When the train stopped at Clark/Lake, the woman was still on fire.
The woman exited the train at the station and collapsed on the platform.
“She was running off the train towards the middle of it, completely engulfed in fire,” said witness Christopher Flores.
On the platform, bystanders attended to the woman, the affidavit said.
“I went over to see what’s going on, said Flores. “She’s on the ground crying. Burnt to a crisp.”
In an affidavit, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Special Agent Adam Fitzgerald said investigators found the woman lying on her back with severe burns to her face and body.
Sources said more than half of the woman’s body was burned. CBS Chicago obtained video of the aftermath, which shows a woman with significant burns on her head.
The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, where authorities said she remained in critical condition as of late Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Reed also got off the train at Clark/Lake and left the scene after the attack.
Investigators found a partially melted bottle, a lighter, the ignitable liquid, and the burned remains of the woman’s clothing in the train car, the affidavit said.
Investigators also found surveillance video from a Citgo gas station at 3537 W. Harrison St. about 20 minutes before the attack. In this video, Reed is seen wearing the same clothing as he was wearing when he allegedly attacked the victim, the affidavit said.
Reed is seen in the video making a payment to a cashier and filling a small container with gasoline, prosecutors said. He is then seen getting on the Blue Line at the Kedzie-Homan station along the Eisenhower Expressway, a short distance away from the gas station, the affidavit said.
At 11:29 a.m. Tuesday, Reed was arrested at 140 W. Washington St. downtown, the affidavit said. He was still wearing the same clothing, and he had fire-related injuries to his right hand, the affidavit said.
Around noon on Wednesday, 24 hours after he was arrested by Chicago police, Reed was taken into federal custody by the ATF.
Multiple outbursts during initial court hearing
Reed appeared for an initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. He entered the courtroom in handcuffs and a spit guard around his mouth.
During the hearing, Reed made multiple outbursts. One line he repeatedly stated was, “I am guilty, and I will be my own attorney!”
But the judge did not accept the plea, as the hearing was intended just to establish the basis for the federal charges.
When the judge started talking with Reed, he said, “Don’t talk to me!” and screamed, “La, la, la,” to prevent the judge from talking. He also said, “I don’t want an attorney,” and, “I’ll be my own attorney.”
Judge McNally told Reed he had a right to remain silent.
Federal prosecutors said in court that they were seeking to have Reed held in custody until trial because he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. Prosecutors said Reed could face life in prison if convicted. He could also face the death penalty if the victim dies.
When Reed heard he was facing terrorism charges, he was taken aback as he said: “Terrorism? What is this all about?”
He also claimed to be a citizen of China and asked the judge to notify the Chinese Consulate of his arrest.
Lawrence Reed had been released on electronic monitoring
Reed has a long criminal record. CBS News Chicago found 49 arrests — including 10 felony cases. Three cases were later dropped, six ended up with convictions ranging from probation to 30 days in the Cook County Jail — and in the case of one drug conviction from 2003, two years in Illinois state prison.
Among them was an active aggravated battery case from just this past August.
In that incident, Reed is accused of hitting a social worker at MacNeal Hospital Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in west suburban Berwyn. The attack caused loss of consciousness, ER visits, lasting memory issues, headaches, and daily nausea for the social worker, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office said at the time.
Cook County prosecutors asked a judge to keep Reed in custody until his trial for the August battery, but the judge placed Reed on electronic monitoring, and then a different judge modified the monitoring hours.
Still, this latest incident happened at a time when Reed would have been under active monitoring.
“Frankly, there’s a presumption of release, but that can be overcome easily with someone like this particular defendant,” said CBS News Chicago Legal Analyst Irv Miller.
Miller said the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail in Illinois, allows judges the discretion to decide if someone is detained. But this latest case is in federal court, as the U.S. Attorney’s Office vows to take a stronger stance on CTA crime.
“You know, both the State of Illinois and the United States government has jurisdiction over certain crimes, particularly when it comes to a crime that occurs on a public transit system,” Miller said. “In that case, both jurisdictions have legitimate rights to charge.”
CBS News Chicago also found Reed has been accused in other high-profile crimes, including a fire that was set outside the Thompson Center in April 2020, on a day that Gov. JB Pritzker was supposed to make an appearance. The felony charge in that case was later dropped.
Just two months prior, Reed was suspected of punching four women outside the Harold Washington Library downtown.
Reed is also suspected of lighting a fire outside Chicago’s City Hall just last week.
In 2019, he pleaded guilty to breaking windows on a CTA Blue Line train at O’Hare International Airport.
“Lawrence Reed had no business being on the streets, given his violent criminal history and his pending criminal cases. Reed had plenty of second chances by the criminal justice system, and as a result, you have an innocent victim in the hospital fighting for her life,” said ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Chris Amon. “Because of the swift action of CPD, ATF, and our law enforcement partners, there will be no more chances for Mr. Reed.”
CBS News Chicago reached out to the Cook County Chief Judge’s office, which monitors the ankle monitoring system, to ask if they could explain any questions about the case — including whether he might have been violating court orders when he allegedly set the woman on fire. Chief Judge’s office representatives said they could not comment on pending or potential litigation.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon reportedly informed the IDF that the wall made nearly an acre of land inaccessible to the local population.
A survey conducted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon last month found that a wall built by the Israeli military crosses the Blue Line, the de facto border, a UN spokesperson said on Friday
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said the concrete T-wall erected by the IDF has made more than 4,000 square meters (nearly an acre) of Lebanese territory inaccessible to the local population.
A section of an additional wall, which has also crossed the Blue Line, is being erected southeast of Yaroun, he said, citing the peacekeepers.
UN PEACEKEEPERS (UNIFIL) are seen in southern Lebanon from the Israeli side of the border, earlier this week. (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)
“Israeli presence and construction in Lebanese territory are violations of Security Council resolution 1701 and of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” UNIFIL said in a separate statement.
An Israeli military spokesperson denied the wall crossed the Blue Line.
“The wall is part of a broader IDF plan whose construction began in 2022. Since the start of the war, and as part of lessons learned from it, the IDF has been advancing a series of measures, including reinforcing the physical barrier along the northern border,” the spokesperson said.
UNIFIL, established in 1978, operates between the Litani River in the north and the Blue Line in the south. The mission has more than 10,000 troops from 50 countries and about 800 civilian staff, according to its website.
Rep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican whose district borders Charlotte, reaches for a poster sized image of Iryna Zarutska being stabbed during The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight hearing in Charlotte on Monday.
KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH
knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
A Congressional hearing in Charlotte on Monday further stoked debate over how to address crime and public safety in the wake of a high-profile stabbing on the city’s light rail.
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee and others from the Carolinas congressional delegation gathered at the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building in uptown for a field hearing weeks after the death of Iryna Zarutska.
On Monday, the committee heard from family members of other victims of violent crime, a local police officer injured in the line of duty and law enforcement experts. While no witnesses were directly connected to the stabbing, the committee focused on several of the most prominent points of debate related to the case.
The predominantly Republican group criticized Democrats for “soft-on-crime” policies. Local Democrats and a group of protestors outside the event called the exercise political.
New Jersey Republican Jeff Van Drew, who chairs the Oversight Subcommittee, noted the group has held similar hearings in Philadelphia and New York City.
“The story is the same. The faces may be different, the accents may be different, the city may look different. But the same story — we’re mourning for innocent lives that have been lost,” he said.
NC’s Adams interrupts SC’s Norman over Zarutska stabbing image
Although no one from Zarutska’s family or directly connected to her case were among the witnesses at Monday’s hearing, her story featured prominently throughout the discussion.
South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, whose district borders Charlotte, held up an image of Zarutska on the train taken moments before her death from the security footage of the incident.
“It’s sick,” the Republican said.
Democratic Rep. Alma Adams, whose district includes much of Charlotte, briefly interrupted Norman’s comments, saying he was going against Zarutska’s family’s wishes by showing the image.
Her family said in a statement Sept. 9 calling for “accountability and systemic change” they were “urging the public and media to respect Iryna’s dignity and their grief by not reposting or circulating the footage of her killing.”
The suspect in Zarutska’s death, DeCarlos Brown, Jr., also came up throughout the hearing. Brown, who has a criminal record, is charged with first-degree murder and a federal transit charge in the case.
Multiple representatives criticized a local magistrate for releasing Brown on a written promise to appear earlier this year when he was charged with misusing 911, a misdemeanor. They said Brown’s history of prior criminal charges and mental health issues should’ve led him to remain incarcerated.
“You don’t need a degree to know that it’s absurd. You don’t need to be an attorney or a judge to know that it’s wrong. You don’t have to have a high-ranking title to know that it doesn’t make sense,” Van Drew said.
A Charlotte Observer review of North Carolina law and Mecklenburg County’s bail policy found releasing someone on a non-violent misdemeanor is routine.
Congressional committee hears from victims’ families, experts
Witness Mia Alderman speaks during a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte on crime and public safety. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Monday’s hearing also featured testimony from the families of other victims of violent crime.
Mia Alderman told the group her family’s been waiting more than 5 years for the suspects in her granddaughter’s death to go to trial. Mary Collins, a 20-year-old with a cognitive disability, died in 2020 after prosecutors said she was lured to an apartment and stabbed 133 times, the Observer reported previously. Two men and two women were arrested in the case.
“Five years is not justice. Five years is torment,” Alderman said Monday.
Steve Federico also addressed the committee Monday. His daughter, Logan Federico, a 22-year-old from Waxhaw, died in Columbia in May when she was fatally shot while visiting friends, South Carolina law enforcement said previously.
Witness Steve Federico speaks during a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte on crime and public safety. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Steve Federico said the suspect in the case, Alexander Dickey, had been arrested 39 times.
“39 crimes in 10 years. 25 felonies. Can anybody in here explain to me how possibly he could be on the street?” Federico asked.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Justin Campbell, injured in last year’s fatal police shooting on Galway Drive in Charlotte, spoke Monday, too. Campbell testified that officers are frustrated by quick releases of people they arrest.
“The judicial system here in Mecklenburg County, I can speak first hand, is trash. I’ll say it again over and over again. I’ll take the repercussions, what comes next after me saying that,” Campbell said.
Dena J. King, formerly the federal attorney for North Carolina’s western district, speaks during a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
But some on the committee questioned the accuracy of the numbers Asher reported. Others said the numbers are no comfort to the families of crime victims.
“Statistics don’t always tell the story,” Van Drew said.
NC Democrats, protesters call hearing political
Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat whose district covers Charlotte, listens during a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Adams and Rep. Deborah Ross represented North Carolina’s Democratic congressional delegation at Monday’s hearing.
Adams called for an end to “senseless” violence and said “perpetrators of violent crimes must be held accountable.” But Adams also said she was “a little disappointed my colleagues here are politicizing the pain under the guise of seeking justice.”
“I think there’s an eye on this open seat,” Adams said, referring to the U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in North Carolina next year.
Some Republicans at the hearing criticized Adams’ comments.
Progressive and religious groups, including Indivisible Charlotte and the Poor People’s Campaign, organized the protest. Demonstrators held up signs to passing traffic with slogans such as “EXECUTE JUSTICE NOT PEOPLE” and “NO TROOPS IN CHARLOTTE.”
Potential policy impacts of Charlotte hearing
Rep. Addison McDowell, a North Carolina Republican, speaks during a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte. To McDowell’s right is another N.C. Republican representative, Pat Harrigan. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Monday’s hearing included discussion of the potential policy implications of Zarutska’s death.
North Carolina Republican Rep. David Rouzer, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, said his group will look at fare enforcement procedures in Charlotte and other cities while drafting upcoming transportation legislation.
The Charlotte Area Transit System said previously Brown did not buy a ticket to board the light rail the night of the stabbing and said it would step up fare enforcement on trains.
“Fares are not enforced, and that is a widespread problem. Not just here in Charlotte but all across the nation,” Rouzer said. “And so we’re going to be looking very intently at ways to incentivize enforcement of fare requirements so that we don’t have another tragedy like this.”
Rep. Mark Harris, a Republican from North Carolina, said he plans to introduce legislation related to federal crime funding in Congress soon.
Some also endorsed Iryna’s Law, legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. The bill would, among other things, enact stricter bail rules for a broad new category of “violent offenses” and expand when mental health evaluations are conducted, The News & Observer reported.
Gov. Josh Stein had not signed the bill as of Monday afternoon.
Voters will decide whether to approve a 1% sales tax increase to fund billions in road, rail and bus projects.
Van Drew said the referendum came up when speaking with local leaders ahead of the field hearing.
“They seem to have a really positive outlook. They want to make it better, they want to make it even safer,” he said.
Asked if safety concerns should sway voters, Charlotte-area Rep. Tim Moore said “a key part” of the plan “is going to be funding additional law enforcement.”
Observer reporter Ryan Oehrli contributed to this story.
This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM.
Mary Ramsey is the local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she studied journalism at the University of South Carolina and has also worked in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky. Support my work with a digital subscription
TriMet has closed the Robertson Tunnel for maintenance work until September 14th. Image courtesy TriMet.
PORTLAND, OR – A weeklong disruption to TriMet’s MAX Blue and Red lines through the Robertson Tunnel is underway and expected to last through September 13th. The tunnel closure is considered essential, as workers will focus on a part of the MAX system that has been in service for nearly 30 years.
During the seven-day disruption, crews will complete two major projects. One will replace about a mile of the overhead wire used to power MAX trains, including the installation of a new wire tensioning system just west of the tunnel. In addition, crews will replace about 700 feet of track between Washington Park and Goose Hollow, will replace some rail ties, and perform deep cleaning inside the tunnel.
Shuttle buses will replace MAX service, arriving at stops from the Sunset Transit Center and the Providence Park MAX Station about every five minutes on weekdays and every seven minutes during next Saturday, September 13th.
Some trips may take up to 45 minutes longer than usual, according to TriMet. They encourage riders traveling to and from Portland International Airport to be aware of the extra travel time and to plan ahead. In some cases, regularly scheduled bus service may offer a faster or more direct option than using a combination of trains and buses. Riders can plan ahead for their trips at trimet.org/planner.
For questions or help planning your trip, contact TriMet’s Customer Support Center at 503-238-RIDE (7433), available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Robertson Tunnel has been in use since 1998. TriMet officials say it stretches three miles and contains the deepest transit station in North America, the Washington Park MAX Station, listed at 260 feet below the surface, the equivalent of the length of a football field.
Small businesses trying to survive, or thrive, amidst all the upheaval might be eligible for new grant money opening up next week.
Alexander Austin of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce (left), Jermaine Johnson of PNC Bank, Tonia Wellons of the GWCF, and David Iannucci of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (center).(WTOP/John Domen)
Alexander Austin of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce (left), Jermaine Johnson of PNC Bank, Tonia Wellons of the GWCF, and David Iannucci of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (center).(WTOP/John Domen)
The changes and disruptions on the Purple Line corridor have been grueling, and seemingly never-ending. Soon, big changes are in the works along the Blue Line corridor too. Small businesses trying to survive, or thrive, amidst all the upheaval might be eligible for new grant money opening up next week.
“It is for businesses that are 10 or fewer people, $5 million or less in terms of revenue,” said Tonia Wellons, the president and CEO of the foundation, which announced the grant through a $500,000 donation from PNC Bank on Thursday. “The grant is to really help improve the economic vitality … and improve business performance for small businesses.”
Businesses also need to be at least three years old, and priority will be given to owners in low to moderately low-income parts of the Blue and Purple Line corridors. The grant money can be used to help cover capital improvement costs, operational costs or other infrastructure needs that might exist.
Qualifications needed to apply to the GWCF’s small business grants. (WTOP/John Domen)
Wellons expects it’ll be a competitive process and that not every business that’s eligible will be selected, she said. Those that are eligible will have to make a compelling case.
“We know that along the Purple Line, there’s a lot of construction right now. Those businesses are really having a tough time making it,” Wellons said. “They get to make the case around how this investment can help them manage through the construction process, to be able to survive and benefit once the construction is complete.”
The case is different for the businesses along the Blue Line corridor, she said.
“That development is in the making now,” Wellons said. “Now they really get to bolster their businesses so as that corridor is developing, they can benefit.”
Jermaine Johnson, the D.C.-area regional president for PNC Bank, said it was a chance to work with small and minority-owned businesses in a manner they don’t often get to do.
“It can be very difficult with the regulatory guidelines that we have as a big bank,” Johnson said. “These are entrepreneurs, early stage companies that traditionally wouldn’t have access to a bank like PNC. And through these funds, we can provide that access.”
