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A federal grand jury indicted Decarlos Brown Jr. for the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train. The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, according to NBC News.

Brown was charged on 22 October in US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina with committing a murder on a mass transit system. The grand jury found Brown “intentionally killed” Zarutska in the 22 August attack.

Lauren O. Newton, an attorney representing Zarutska’s family, said they are “pleased with the indictment and we look forward to swift justice for Iryna.” Brown’s attorneys declined to comment.

Brown faces both federal and local charges. In September, prosecutors charged him with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. Charlotte police added a first-degree murder charge.

Governor signs Iryna’s Law after killing

The case drew national attention and prompted legislative action. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed Iryna’s Law on 3 October, which alerts judges to examine people who may pose violence risks before setting bail. “We can and must do more to keep people safe,” Stein said in a video message.

Attorney General Pam Bondi called Zarutska’s death “a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.”

Video captured fatal attack on train

Video evidence and federal court documents show Zarutska boarded the LYNX blue line train at 9:46 p.m. She sat in an empty seat in front of Brown. He pulled a knife from his pocket, unfolded it, and struck her three times from behind. Then he walked away.

Surveillance video released of Ukrainian refugee’s fatal stabbing on Charlotte transit train.
The video captures 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska at least three times with a folding knife, including once in the neck, during an unprovoked attack… pic.twitter.com/98OwXsmsTP

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2025

Zarutska died at the scene. Her family learned what happened after her phone’s location showed she remained at the station. When they arrived, police had already discovered her body in the rear car near what the federal complaint described as “a large amount of blood.” Investigators found a pocketknife and a blood-soaked red shirt. Brown was arrested on the outbound platform at the same station.

Zarutska fled war in Ukraine, sought new life in US

Zarutska had recently fled Ukraine’s war with Russia. She lived with her partner in Charlotte and took community college courses to improve her English. After getting her work permit, she worked at a senior citizens center and pizza store. She also cared for neighborhood animals, according to James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Division.

Her family said in a statement: “Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way.”

Brown had criminal record, mental health issues

Court records show Brown’s criminal history spans more than a decade. Convictions include felony breaking and entering and robbery with a dangerous weapon. He served five years in prison for the robbery charge.

Brown was diagnosed with schizophrenia in January, according to KATV. Media reported he had called 911 with bizarre claims, telling police he believed someone had given him “artificial material” placed inside his body that controlled his eating, walking, and speech.

He was arrested for abusing the 911 system. A judge released him on a written promise to appear in court.

Decarlos Brown Jr., stabbed Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska to death at Charlotte’s South End light rail station on 22 August. Photo: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Daily Mail

Read also

• Ukrainian woman who fled war in Ukraine was stabbed to death in the US

• Trump links Charlotte Ukrainian refugee murder to national security crisis

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