The man who’s been accused of fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina has been charged with a federal crime.
Thirty-four-year-old suspect Decarlos Brown, Jr., has been charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system due to the stabbing of 23-year-old refugee Iryna Zarutska on Aug. 22. If convicted, he will face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or death.
"Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”
According to an affidavit by an FBI agent, Zarutska got onto the LYNX blue line train in Charlotte, NC, around 9.46 p.m. Eastern and sat in front of Brown, who has a lengthy criminal history that spans over a decade and includes charges like robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony breaking and entering.
“At approximately 21:50 hours, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded the knife before striking the victim three times from behind," writes Special Agent Cameron Winchester. "Following the attack, suspected blood can be seen dripping onto the floor as Brown walked away from the victim."
Zarutska was found in the rear car of the train with a stab wound in her neck. Brown was located and arrested on the outbound LYNX blue-line platform at the same station where the incident had been reported.
"The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America," said FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement. "The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again."