Authorities in Chicago are on the hunt for a man linked to a stabbing incident at a train station, only months after a Ukrainian refugee faced a similar fatal attack.
The suspect, whose identity remains unknown, allegedly targeted a woman seated at the UIC-Halstead CTA Blue Line station on the city’s Near West Side around 11:14 p.m. on Saturday.
Reports indicate that he pulled a knife from his backpack, using it to stab the woman in her chest.
Following the attack, the man fled the scene heading north on South Morgan Street, but not before surveillance cameras captured him with what appeared to be a bloodied knife in his right hand.
According to police, the suspect is described as an African American male, standing roughly six feet tall and weighing between 160 and 180 pounds.
He was last seen dressed in a bright pink beanie, a gray hooded jacket, an orange sweatshirt, light blue jeans, and white sneakers.
The man was also carrying a gray backpack at the time.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old victim suffered a minor injury and was transported to a local hospital in good condition, according to Fox News.
The attack comes just months after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, was killed on another commuter train in North Carolina.
She had boarded the light-rail train in Charlotte just before 10pm on August 22 after finishing her shift at a local pizzeria and was heading home to her boyfriend when Decarlos Brown Jr, 34, stabbed her in the neck multiple times with a pocket knife.
Chicago police are searching for a suspect they say stabbed a woman at a train station over the weekend
It comes months after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed onboard a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina
Disturbing surveillance footage from the attack showed the suspect watching Zarutska for some time after she sat in the row in front of him, before taking what appeared to be a blade from his pocket.
Brown then stood up and loomed over the Ukrainian refugee, swinging the knife at her as she sat on her phone.
As Brown then exited the train, he left behind a trail of blood – though other passengers did not seem to realize the murder that occurred in front of them.
Video then showed Zarutska curled up with her knees against her chest and her hands over her mouth while she looks up at her attacker. About 15 seconds later, she fell to the floor.
Other clips obtained by the Daily Mail showed Brown stroll down the carriage and remove his hoodie, which had likely been sprayed with blood during the attack.
In another camera angle, police could be seen tackling Brown to the ground and placing him in handcuffs just five minutes after the grisly murder.
Brown was also caught on surveillance footage arriving at the train station.
He appeared to be in an agitated, zombie-like state as he staggered back and forth on the station platform.
At one point, Brown sat on a bench and slumped over with his head hung low. He also began rocking from side to side, prompting one commuter to turn their head and observe his strange behavior.
Decarlos Brown Jr, 34, a career criminal, faces state murder charges in North Carolina as well as federal charges of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death
Disturbing surveillance footage from the attack showed the suspect watching Zarutska for some time after she sat in the row in front of him, before taking what appeared to be a blade from his pocket
Following his arrest, Brown – who is schizophrenic – told his sister in a phone call from jail that he had been hearing voices in his head before he launched the deadly attack.
His sister, Tracey Brown, has since blamed the ‘broken’ US mental health system for repeatedly releasing her brother back onto the streets over several years when he tried to admit himself to the hospital for treatment.
He also has a lengthy criminal record and has been through the court system multiple times, with a personal gallery of mugshots to show for it.
‘He was a high risk. He was not in his right mind. He was not safe for society,’ Tracey Brown told the Daily Mail.
‘We know what he has been dealing with the last three years,’ she added. ‘And now an innocent woman is dead.’
Brown now faces state murder charges as well as federal charges of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death.
He is eligible for the death penalty, based off a prior conviction in 2015 for robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Meanwhile, Zarutska’s boyfriend Stas Nikulytsia, who she had just moved in with, shared a heartbreaking video showing her embracing her new life in America before her dream was cut cruelly short.
In a poignant compilation posted to Instagram, Nikulytsia showed his girlfriend reveling in her new life – sipping cocktails, eating barbecue and dancing with friends.
The video also captured tender moments, including the couple embracing in an elevator, kissing the camera and enjoying time together.
Zarutska emigrated from Ukraine with her mother, sister, and brother to escape the war, and she ‘quickly embraced her new life in the United States ,’ her family wrote in her obituary
A makeshift memorial was created for Zarutska at the train station
Zarutska emigrated from Ukraine with her mother, sister, and brother to escape the war, and she ‘quickly embraced her new life in the United States,’ her family wrote in her obituary.
They also said she had managed to become fluent in English ‘within a very short time’, and was ‘hoping for a new beginning’ when she came to Charlotte.
Zarutska posted a photograph of the high rises which punctuate the North Carolina city’s skyline on Facebook just nine days before she died.
The image appears to have been taken through the window of a train like the one she boarded on her final day.
Her family said that before starting her new life in the US, Zarutska graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in Art and Restoration.
‘She shared her creativity generously, gifting family and friends with her artwork,’ they said.
‘She loved sculpting and designing unique, eclectic clothing that reflected her vibrant spirit.’
‘Though she enjoyed adventures, sightseeing, and exploring new places with her close friends, Zarutska was also a homebody at heart, happiest when surrounded by family and loved ones,’ her traumatized family added.
‘Her mother lovingly recalls her ability to sleep for wonderfully long stretches—something she affectionately called an ‘artist’s gift.”
Zarutska’s family added that she had ‘a deep love for animals’ and dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant.
‘She often cared for her neighbors’ pets, and many fondly remember seeing her walking them through the neighborhood, always with her radiant smile,’ they said.
