Federal charges filed against Charlotte train attacker; Trump expresses condolences to her family

A repeat offender now faces federal charges after fatally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train Aug. 22, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a Sept. 9 statement.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she directed federal prosecutors to charge the attacker, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., with murder under federal law.

“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,” Bondi wrote in a Sept. 9 X post. “We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable crime, and he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”

A graphic video released Sept. 5 shows Zarutska boarding the train Aug. 22 and sitting moments before a man — identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. — pulled out a knife and stabbed her. Brown stabbed her three times, striking her at least once in the throat, the New York Post reported. She died on the train as Brown exited, still holding the weapon. The footage, released by the Charlotte Area Transit System, shows no apparent provocation. 

Independent journalist Andy Ngo noted on X that the video also captures Brown saying, “I got that white girl, got that white girl.”

Brown was arrested shortly after the attack and faces separate state charges of first-degree murder in North Carolina, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He appeared in court Aug. 29, where a judge denied him bond and ordered a competency evaluation, CBS affiliate WBTV reported. His next hearing is set for Sept. 19.

If convicted of the federal charge of “committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system,” Brown could face life in prison or the death penalty, the DOJ said in the Sept. 9 statement.

At the Sept. 8 Religious Liberty Commission hearing, President Donald Trump offered “love and hope” to Zarutska’s family and called her killer “a madman, a lunatic.” 

“There are evil people, so we have to be able to handle that,” Trump said. “If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country.” 

Later on Sept. 8, Trump criticized Democratic leaders in a social media post, saying they “refuse to put bad people in jail.” He singled out former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, now running for Senate, accusing him of enabling repeated offenders. 

The President said Brown was “a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES.”

“The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and ‘Wannabe Senator’ Roy Cooper,” Trump wrote in part. “North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it!”

In a Sept. 9 video posted to the official White House X account, Trump denounced the murder and claimed that “24 of the top 25 most dangerous cities of America are run by Democrat mayors.” 

 “We cannot allow a depraved criminal element of violent repeat offenders to continue spreading destruction and death throughout our country,” he said. “We have to respond with force and strength.” 

As The Charlotte Observer reported, court records show Brown has a long history of mental-health issues and criminal charges — including felony larceny, armed robbery, and communicating threats — many of which were dropped. He served more than five years in prison for a 2014 armed robbery conviction and has cycled through Mecklenburg County courts for the past decade.  

In January, Brown was arrested for misusing 911, telling officers a “man-made material” was controlling him, The Free Press reported. He then told officers to investigate the “material that was inside of his body.” Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes released him the same day on a written promise to appear in court. 

All 10 Republican House members from North Carolina’s congressional delegation signed a letter urging the removal of Stokes because of the decision to release Brown, according to a Sept. 9 FOX News report.

On July 29, Mecklenburg County Judge Roy Wiggins ordered Brown to undergo a mental evaluation in connection with the 911 misuse case but did not place him in custody, according to The Free Press. The evaluation never occurred, and Brown remained free when he attacked Zarutska Aug. 22. 

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, called the murder “a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates” in a Sept. 8 letter.

“Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety,” Lyles wrote in the letter. “We need a bipartisan solution to address repeat offenders who do not face consequences for their actions and those who cannot get treatment for their mental illness and are allowed to be on the streets.”

On Sept. 8, Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, expressed condolences for Zarutska’s family and said his budget calls for more funding to expand police ranks. 

“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,” Stein wrote on X. “We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe. That’s why my budget calls for more funding to hire more well-trained police officers. I call upon the legislature to pass my law enforcement recruitment and retention package to address vacancies in our state and local agencies so they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable.”