A man accused of fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee aboard a Charlotte light rail train is now facing federal charges that could carry the death penalty. Authorities say Decarlos Brown Jr. has been charged with one count of causing death on a mass transportation system, NBC News reports. The victim, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, had fled the war in Ukraine for a new life in the United States, according to her family.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced the federal prosecution, saying Zarutska's "horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people." Bondi called Zarutska's killing "unforgivable" and vowed to pursue the harshest possible penalty for Brown, a man with a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions for robbery and felony breaking and entering. Brown served five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon. "He will never again see the light of day as a free man," Bondi said. In a Truth Social post Monday, President Trump said "her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail."
Video shows Brown stabbing Zarutska multiple times on Aug. 22, minutes after she sat in a train seat in front of him, the AP reports. They did not interact before the attack. Zarutska's death drew attention both for the brutality of the attack and for her story as a recent refugee seeking safety in America. The federal case will run parallel to the state first-degree murder case. Brown could also face the death penalty in the state case, though North Carolina hasn't carried out an execution since 2006.
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