The Department of Justice is stepping in with a federal charge against DeCarlos Brown Jr. in the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail.
“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,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi released in a statement. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. 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.”
On Monday night, FBI Director Kash Patel indicated a federal charge was coming and that the FBI had been investigating the murder with local police since it occurred on August 22.
"On August 22, 2025, at approximately 9:55 p.m., officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) responded to a call for service related to an assault that occurred on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte. Callers indicated that a woman had been stabbed by a male. Responding officers located the victim inside the railcar. The victim, subsequently identified as Iryna Zarutska, had sustained fatal stab wounds. A pocketknife and other items were collected from the scene," DOJ details.
"Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed the victim entering the light rail car and sitting down in the row in front of Brown. Approximately four minutes later, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded it before striking the victim three times from behind. Following the attack, Brown walked away from the victim," DOJ continues. "If convicted, Brown faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison or death. Ultimately, his sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors."
The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 9, 2025
The @FBI immediately surged into action to ensure justice is served and to make clear that violent criminals will never be allowed to walk free again.
President Trump is committed… pic.twitter.com/0mq30pD0xS