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The individual accused of the tragic fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee aboard a Charlotte Area Transit System train recently has now faced federal charges.
Decarlos Brown Jr. has been indicted with committing an act leading to a death on a mass transit system, linked to the stabbing incident on August 22, as informed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Law enforcement identified the victim as Iryna Zarutska, who had recently arrived in the U.S. from Ukraine to escape the ongoing conflict with Russia, according to her relatives.
“Iryna Zarutska was living her American dream — her brutal murder stems from flawed crime policies prioritizing criminals over the innocent,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement. “I have instructed my team to charge DeCarlos Brown Jr., a habitual offender with a history of violence, federally for murder. We aim to pursue the severest punishment for this unpardonable crime — he will be kept from experiencing freedom again.”
Brown’s criminal record is extensive, encompassing felony breaking and entering along with armed robbery for which he served five years in prison, as per court documentation.
The FBI’s complaint submitted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina details that Zarutska boarded the LYNX blue line train around 9:46 p.m. local time, seated herself directly in front of Brown.
“At approximately 21:50 hours, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded the knife before striking the victim three times from behind,” the complaint stated. “Following the attack, suspected blood can be seen dripping onto the floor as Brown walked away from the victim.”
Officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to the 1800 block of Camden Road following a call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon, per the complaint. The victim was found in the rear car of the train near “a large amount of blood, with a single stab wound in the middle of her neck.”
Investigators found a pocketknife and a red shirt soaked in “suspected blood” at the scene, according to the complaint. Brown was arrested on the outbound LYNX blue line platform at the same station the incident was reported. He was initially charged with first degree murder.
“The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” FBI Director Kash Patel said 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.”
Brown is in state custody as of Tuesday, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson, who spoke in a news briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
If convicted, Brown will face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or death, according to the justice department.
The investigation is ongoing.
