Feds charge suspect in light rail killing of Ukrainian refugee

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CN) — The federal government charged a suspect in the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system Tuesday.

23-year-old Zarutska, who came to North Carolina in 2022 while fleeing the Russo-Ukrainian war, was murdered in August while taking the Lynx Blue Line on the light rail in Charlotte. The case has attracted national attention after the Charlotte Area Transit System released footage of the stabbing Friday.

Surveillance footage shows Zarutska entering the train car and sitting across from 34-year-old Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. Authorities say that four minutes later, he stabbed her three times from behind before exiting. Police arrested him on the platform and recovered a folding pocketknife. The transit system has told local media that he did not have a ticket.

According to an affidavit filed Tuesday, FBI Special Agent Cameron Winchester said surveillance footage from inside the light rail car captured Brown pulling the knife from his pocket, unfolding it, and attacking Zarutska. Blood can be seen dripping onto the floor as he walked away, Winchester said. She died within an hour.

Brown faces a maximum sentence of life in prison or death. He has also been charged with first degree murder by the state and has been assigned a public defender in his state case. An affidavit to obtain an arrest warrant for Brown describes him as homeless.

“This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most — Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family. But crimes like this also affect everyone who relies on mass transportation to get to and from work and go about their daily lives, and federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems.”

Zarutska had a deep love for animals, her family said in her obituary, and wanted to pursue a career as a veterinary assistant. She quickly learned English, was learning to drive and enjoyed sculpting and designing clothing.

On Monday, Governor Josh Stein said on X that he is calling on the state legislature to pass funding to hire more well-trained police officers to address vacancies.

“I am heartbroken for the family of Iryna Zarutska, who lost their loved one to this senseless act of violence, and I am appalled by the footage of her murder,” he said. “We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe.”

Brown has previously been arrested several times in Charlotte and pleaded guilty to committing a robbery with a dangerous weapon. He was also charged with possessing a gun despite his felony conviction in 2014, but the case was dismissed.

State Republican leaders have blamed Zarutska’s death on Democratic policies and leadership, including Stein and former Governor Roy Cooper.

Cooper and Stein’s policies “directly contributed to this heinous murder,” Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger said in a post on X.

The White House has called the incident “a shocking act of evil that didn’t have to happen” and said that state prosecutors and judges failed to protect the public by releasing him. Brown was arrested in January for misusing the 911 system, but was released from jail after signing a written promise to appear in court.

“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,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said 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.”

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