US President Donald Trump called for a swift trial and the death penalty for 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr, who fatally stabbed 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a commuter train in North Carolina last month.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday, “The animal who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine… should be given a ‘quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded the death penalty.’ ‘There can be no other option!!!’ the president wrote.
How did DeCarlos Brown Jr. murder Iryna Zarutska?
Zarutska, 23, had fled from Ukraine in 2022 to escape the brutal war with Russia, seeking safety and a new life in the United States.
But just a few years into her new beginning, the Ukrainian refugee was tragically killed, fatally stabbed by DeCarlos Brown Jr. while commuting home from her job at a local pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina.
On Tuesday, the US Justice Department announced federal charges against Brown for “committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.”
“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,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
Charges against DeCarlos Brown Jr.
DeCarlos Brown Jr., 34, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train.
Authorities say Brown launched the attack without warning, then exited the train at the next stop, where he was quickly taken into custody.
Brown has a long history of run-ins with law enforcement, with prior charges including armed robbery, criminal theft, assault, and making threats.
His criminal record dates back to at least 2011.At the time of the attack, Brown was reportedly homeless and had a documented history of schizophrenia.
Earlier this year, a court ordered a forensic mental health evaluation to assess his competency, but that evaluation was never completed before the fatal incident occurred.
Investigators have not yet identified a motive, and officials say there was no known connection between Brown and Zarutska.