❓WHAT HAPPENED: A career criminal was indicted on federal charges after fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee aboard a train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, and Iryna Zarutska, 23, who fled Ukraine in 2022.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred on August 22, 2025, aboard a Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We are hopeful for swift justice.” – Lauren Newton, a lawyer representing the Zarutska family.
🎯IMPACT: The case has reignited debates over crime policies, with North Carolina reinstating the death penalty under a new law called ‘Iryna’s Law.’
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violence against a railroad carrier and a mass transportation system resulting in death. The charges stem from the August 22, 2025, fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Federal prosecutors confirmed that Brown, who has a history of violent offenses, could face the death penalty if convicted.
According to investigators, Brown attacked Zarutska from behind with a pocketknife after observing her for several minutes. Surveillance video shows him standing behind her before suddenly stabbing her multiple times. Zarutska was later pronounced dead at the scene.
“We are hopeful for swift justice,” Lauren Newton, a lawyer representing the Zarutska family, stated in the wake of the indictment, adding that the family was pleased about the federal grand jury’s decision.
Authorities later revealed that Brown shouted, “I got that white girl,” during or after the assault, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to review the case as a possible federal hate crime. Brown’s criminal record includes a 2015 conviction for armed robbery and several subsequent arrests. He had been released shortly before the murder following a misdemeanor charge, a fact that has drawn sharp criticism of the justice system’s handling of repeat offenders. “I strongly feel like he should not have been on the streets at all,” said Tracey, Brown’s sister, noting his longstanding issues with mental illness.
The killing has reignited national debate over public safety, mental health, and criminal justice reform. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein responded by signing “Iryna’s Law” earlier this month, a sweeping package that reinstates the death penalty in the state after a two-decade moratorium, ends cashless bail for violent and repeat offenders, and accelerates capital punishment cases. Stein supported most of the bill but objected to a controversial clause permitting execution by firing squad.
President Donald J. Trump also addressed the case during a September 9 speech, using it to criticize Democratic leaders for lenient crime policies. “In Charlotte, North Carolina, we saw the results of these policies when a 23-year-old woman who came here from Ukraine met her bloody end on a public train,” Trump said.
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