A 34-year-old man, Decarlos Brown Jr., accused of fatally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury, a move that could make him eligible for the death penalty.
According to ABC News, the indictment filed on Wednesday, October 22, charges Brown with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, a capital offense under U.S. federal law.
The charges stem from the August 22 incident in which Zarutska, 23, was stabbed multiple times in what authorities described as an unprovoked attack on the Lynx Blue Line light rail.
Surveillance footage cited in court documents reportedly shows Zarutska entering the train and taking a seat in front of Brown. About four minutes later, Brown allegedly pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed her three times from behind. Investigators said there was no prior interaction between the two.
After the attack, witnesses said Brown calmly walked away while passengers rushed to help the victim. Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene, and officers arrested Brown minutes later at a nearby station. A pocketknife believed to be the murder weapon was recovered close to the scene.
Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show that Brown has a criminal history, including convictions for larceny, breaking and entering, and armed robbery. He previously served five years in prison, beginning in 2015.
Zarutska had emigrated from Ukraine with her family, escaping the ongoing war to start a new life in the United States before her tragic death.
