CHARLOTTE, NC (LOOTPRESS) — Federal prosecutors have filed charges against Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, in connection with the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light rail train last month.
Brown is charged with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, a federal offense that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
According to court documents, the attack happened on August 22, 2025, around 9:55 p.m. on the Lynx Blue Line. Surveillance footage shows Zarutska entering the train and sitting down in front of Brown. Minutes later, investigators say, Brown pulled a pocketknife from his pocket and stabbed her three times from behind. She collapsed from her injuries and died at the scene.
Police recovered the knife and other items on the train. Officers arrested Brown on the light rail platform shortly after the incident.
Federal officials condemned the killing. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called it an “unforgivable act of violence” and said prosecutors will seek the maximum penalty. FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency immediately joined the investigation “to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again.”
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said the crime not only devastated Zarutska’s family but also raised concerns for public safety among Charlotte commuters. “Federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems,” Ferguson said.
The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Odulio.
Brown remains in custody. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
