Career criminal who brutally stabbed Ukrainian refugee on train faces federal murder charge; Trump demands death penalty

The suspect in the stabbing death of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska now faces a federal murder charge, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday.

“I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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.”

Brown is accused of stabbing Zarutska on a Charlotte, North Carolina public transportation train on Aug. 22. Surveillance video of the grisly act has circulated widely online, horrifying the public and government officials, alike.

“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 also said. 

“The most enraging and unacceptable part of this story is that her death was entirely preventable,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing on Monday. “Brown should never have been on that train – he should have been behind bars. He has been charged at least 14 times since 2011, including for armed robbery, felony larceny, and breaking and entering. He served five years for robbery with a deadly weapon and repeatedly forfeited bond. This monster should have been locked up, and Iryna should still be alive.” 

On Wednesday morning, President Trump posted on Truth Social: “The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine … should be given a quick trial and only awarded the death penalty. There can be no other option.” 

Democratic leaders also weighed in. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles called Zarutska’s killing a “senseless and tragic loss” and has urged the public to stop sharing the video out of respect for her family. She added the case was a “tragic failure by the courts and magistrates” and announced immediate transit security changes. 

Brown’s family said he suffered from schizophrenia and was a danger to society. “He was a high risk. He was not in his right mind,” his sister Tracey told the Daily Mail. “He was not safe for society … and now an innocent woman is dead.” 

Brown is being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail, the New York Post reports. A court date has been set for Sept. 19.