Washington — The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a federal criminal charge against the man accused of the deadly stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month.
The Justice Department announced that the suspect in the attack, Decarlos Brown Jr., is charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. Federal prosecutors in North Carolina have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to discuss the case.
“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 Pam 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.”
The Justice Department said the charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or death. Federal judges are responsible for imposing sentences after conviction.
The attack, which occurred on Aug. 22, has garnered increased attention in recent days, with President Trump and his allies claiming the attack shows Democratic-run cities and states are failing to protect their residents.
“The most enraging and unacceptable part of the story is that her death was entirely preventable. Decarlos Brown never should have been on that train that night,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
Surveillance footage showed Zarutska entering a light rail car on Aug. 22 and sitting in a row in front of Brown. Four minutes later, Brown allegedly pulled a knife from his pocket and struck Zarutska three times from behind, according to an FBI affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint.
Police found Zarutska dead on the light rail with a single stab wound in the middle of her neck and a small cut on her left knee, the affidavit said. Brown was taken into custody at the scene and already faces a state charge of first-degree murder.
Zarutska’s relatives have said the 23-year-old came to the U.S. with to escape Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Brown has a long criminal history, including serving five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to The Associated Press. Brown’s mother told a local television station she recently sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment after he became violent at home, the AP reported.