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RALEIGH, N.C. — Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are gearing up to scrutinize crime-fighting strategies and financial allocations in Charlotte, particularly in light of two recent stabbings on the city’s light rail system – one of which was fatal. These incidents have heightened concerns in the Democratic-leaning city, prompting a closer examination of public safety efforts.
On Monday, a state House oversight committee has summoned Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, among others, to provide testimony at the Legislative Building. This session aims to address the growing concerns surrounding law enforcement efficacy and resource allocation in the area.
The tragic stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in August, followed by another non-fatal stabbing in December on the same rail system, have become focal points for Republican criticism. Both cases, which have even drawn attention from former President Donald Trump, involve suspects facing charges in both state and federal courts.
In their letters inviting testimony, the committee’s cochairmen expressed that recent high-profile crimes have sparked “serious concerns” regarding law enforcement staffing levels, prosecutorial decisions, and the overall public safety strategy of the city.
The committee emphasized its responsibility to ensure that local governments that receive and utilize public funds are effectively prioritizing the safety and security of residents throughout North Carolina, as reiterated in their communications.
The committee’s public scrutiny has been useful for Republicans earning political points on hot-button issues. The panel can seek more documents and reports from local entities or threaten funding losses — although that couldn’t occur without separate action by the full General Assembly.
Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused in Zarutska’s death, had more than a dozen prior criminal arrests before the most recent charge, and concerns had been raised about his mental health. Republican lawmakers, as well as Trump and Vice President JD Vance, blamed Democratic leaders in Charlotte and statewide for soft-on-crime policies they allege allowed Brown to stay out of custody.
Lyles wrote soon after Zarutska’s death that it was a “tragic failure by the courts and magistrates.” She and others have since highlighted additional safety measures for the light rail system.
Zarutska’s death already resulted in a new state law that barred cashless bail for certain violent crimes and many repeat offenders. It also seeks to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last week issued an executive order designed in part to address mental health treatment for people whom police confront and who are incarcerated.
The suspect in the second light-rail attack — identified in federal records as Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia and in state court as Oscar Solarzano — is from Central America and had been transported out the country twice since 2018 — having been convicted of illegal reentry into the U.S., according to an FBI affidavit.
Brown has been jailed due to the charges. A federal court ordered last month that he undergo a psychiatric examination to determine whether his legal case can proceed. A similar exam was ordered in state court months ago. Brown’s lawyers for federal court declined comment late last week. His state court lawyer didn’t immediately respond to an email.
Solarzano is also jailed and an attorney representing him in state court didn’t immediately respond to an email. There is no lawyer listed in his federal case.
The December stabbing occurred weeks after a federal immigration crackdown in Charlotte and elsewhere in North Carolina, resulting in hundreds of arrests over several days.
Republicans for years blamed McFadden, who is facing a Democratic primary next month, for failing to cooperate with immigration agents. A recent state law has now made it mandatory for sheriffs to honor requests from federal officials to hold an arrested immigrant so agents can take custody of them.
The committee meeting was previously delayed while committee leaders received guidance on what they could ask publicly about Zarutska’s death. A federal magistrate judge had granted a request from Brown’s attorneys preventing lawmakers from disclosing what’s inside their client’s case files from local police or the Mecklenburg County district attorney.