Iryna Zarutska’s Alleged Killer Could Face Death Penalty

Topline

The Justice Department on Tuesday filed federal charges against Decarlos Brown Jr., the 34-year-old accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte, North Carolina, train last month—as President Donald Trump has put the attack into national focus by saying Democratic policies allowed the crime to happen.

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have blamed Zarutska’s death on Democratic policies in North Carolina.

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Key Facts

Brown, who was arrested on first-degree murder charges at the state level, was federally charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system after Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on Aug. 22, the Justice Department announced.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said prosecutors would seek a maximum penalty for Brown, who faces life in prison or the death penalty, according to the DOJ.

What Has Donald Trump Said About Iryna Zarutska?

Trump on Monday, in response to surveillance footage of the attack released last week, wrote on Truth Social that Zarutska was “brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged” Brown and noted Brown’s previous arrests. He blamed Democrats in the state for Zarutska’s death, writing “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail,” while pointing to policies under former Gov. Roy Cooper. In his post, Trump added an endorsement for Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in his U.S. Senate race against Cooper, writing “only Republicans will deliver” on “LAW AND ORDER.” The White House released an accompanying statement, claiming the attack was the “culmination of North Carolina’s Democrat politicians, prosecutors and judges prioritizing woke agendas.”

What Have Other Republicans Said About Iryna Zarutska?

Whatley backed Trump’s response as “spot on,” alleging Cooper’s “spineless, soft-on-crime policies have unleashed predators” like Brown and “countless other violent thugs.” Whatley claimed an executive order signed by Cooper, which established a Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, allowed Brown’s release from prison after a five-year sentence on robbery charges, though the order did not call for early releases. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency would investigate Charlotte’s rail system and threatened to pull federal funding “if mayors can’t keep their trains and buses safe.” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller accused Democrats of protecting “the criminal, the monstrous and the depraved.” Elon Musk, who briefly worked in the Trump administration, accused state judges and prosecutors of allowing “criminals to roam free.”

What Have North Carolina Democrats Said About Iryna Zarutska?

Cooper, in a statement from his campaign, told Politico the attack was a “heartbreaking, despicable act of evil.” Cooper accused Whatley of lying, suggesting Whatley “knows his support for federal policies that cut local and state law enforcement funding is wrong for North Carolina.” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said he was “appalled” by surveillance footage of Zarutska’s attack and called on state legislators to address law enforcement vacancies “so they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable.” Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles called the attack a “senseless and tragic loss,” noting she was “thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city.”

Tangent

Trump’s comments on Zarutska’s death came after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published a copy of a birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein allegedly signed by Trump. The note was first reported by The Wall Street Journal in July, though Trump argued the letter was “FAKE” and filed a lawsuit against the Journal, its publisher Dow Jones and parent firm News Corp seeking $10 billion in damages. The White House would agree to an analysis of the signature on the card, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.

Key Background

Zarutska was attacked shortly after boarding a Charlotte light rail train the night of Aug. 22, according to court records. A person appearing to be Zarutska, who left Ukraine to escape the country’s war with Russia, was seen on surveillance footage sitting in front of a person who appears to be Brown. The Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department later arrested Brown, who has 14 prior arrests in Mecklenburg County, including a five-year sentence for robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to court records. Brown was arrested earlier this year for repeatedly calling police from a hospital, though he was later released without bail. Brown’s mother has said she sought involuntary psychiatric commitment for Brown after he became violent at home earlier this year, as Brown was diagnosed with schizophrenia, the Associated Press reported.