A North Carolina man who recently raised more than $100,000 on GoFundMe after being stabbed on a Charlotte light-rail train is now facing serious criminal charges in an unrelated case. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Kenyon Dobie assaulted his pregnant girlfriend, leaving her with a “facial fracture,” and threatened to kill both her and her children.
Dobie appeared in court Thursday in connection with the allegations involving the mother of his unborn child and their 1-year-old son. A judge released him on bond with electronic monitoring and issued a no-contact order, according to court records.
Dobie’s GoFundMe campaign had collected over $114,000 as of Thursday evening. He was stabbed on Dec. 5 on a Charlotte light-rail train, allegedly by Oscar Solarzano, who is now facing a federal charge of committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system. Authorities say Solarzano, who is accused of stabbing Dobie in the chest, is in the country illegally.
“Luckily I survived but my body has taken plenty damage,” Dobie wrote on the fundraising page. “Have a tube running from my chest to a machine pumping blood out of my lungs. Please pray and help me with a better recovery.”
Mecklenburg County court documents show Dobie was arrested Wednesday night and charged with felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury, assault on a pregnant woman, assault on a female, domestic violence, and three counts of communicating threats.
The accusations stem from two alleged incidents: one on Feb. 18 and another on Oct. 19. In the February case, an affidavit states that Dobie arrived to pick up the couple’s child and appeared intoxicated. When the child’s mother tried to take the boy back, Dobie allegedly punched her in the face before leaving in his car.
The October incident resulted in more serious injuries. Responding officers reported that the woman was “bleeding heavily from her right eye and nose,” and that her left eye was swollen shut and turning dark purple. She later told police she was initially too scared to speak because Dobie had threatened to kill her children.
According to the affidavit, the argument began in her apartment. When she tried to separate herself by entering their child’s room, Dobie allegedly burst in and began throwing furniture. Fearing for the baby’s safety, she picked him up. She told officers that Dobie then approached until she was trapped in a corner and punched her in the face, causing her head to hit the wall and knocking her unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she was on the floor still holding the child. Dobie had left the apartment but allegedly returned briefly to warn her against speaking to police, threatening to kill her and her children if she did.
Dobie is being held on a $2 million bond.