Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man Suspected of Murdering Iryna Zarutska – The Death Penalty Is on the Table
decarlos Brown Jr. has been federally indicted for the murder of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman killed on a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail train in August. The federal charge accuses Brown of violence against a railroad carrier resulting in death, which carries a potential death penalty or life imprisonment. Brown, who has a long criminal record including a prior robbery conviction, was also indicted on local murder charges. A competency hearing for him is scheduled for April 2026. Zarutska, who had arrived in the U.S. from Ukraine with her family seeking safety, was described as a caring individual who worked hard to build a new life. The case has sparked national outrage, drawing responses including from former President Donald Trump, who condemned the crime and criticized local bail policies. The victim’s family and legal representatives express hope for swift justice.
The accused killer of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman killed in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August, has been indicted on a federal charge.
A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted Decarlos Brown Jr. on a charge of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death. The charge is one that carries the potential of the death penalty, according to ABC.
As noted by WCNC-TV, the indictment claims Brown intentionally took Zarutska’s life and acted with “reckless disregard for human life.”
🚨#BREAKING: Decarlos Brown Jr., the man who murdered Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte NC…
…has just been indicted by a FEDERAL grand jury with charges that could make him eligible for the death penalty
WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU!!! pic.twitter.com/gzE71MGDNN
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) October 23, 2025
The indictment said Brown, who has a long criminal record, was convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon in Mecklenburg County Superior Court in February 2015.
Under federal law, the charge upon which Brown was indicted has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death.
Brown was indicted on murder charges in Mecklenburg County in September and has 14 past court cases in that county.
Brown’s next step in his local charges is a competency hearing, which is scheduled for April 2026.
“The family is pleased the federal grand jury returned the indictment against Decarlos Brown Jr. We are hopefully for swift justice,” Lauren Newton, the attorney representing Zarutska’s family, said, according to WBTV-TV.
Video showed that the incident, which took place Aug. 22 on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, sparked national outrage at the crime.
“The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!” President Donald Trump posted on .
Trump has said the tragedy is part of the cost of Democratic leadership.
“I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic,” he posted on .
“The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP. The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail,” Trump wrote.
Zarutska’s uncle, who asked that his name not be used, said the victim, her mother, and her two younger siblings arrived from Kiev in August 2022, according to People.
“What motivated us to get them out of Ukraine was seeing a picture of them huddled up in a bomb shelter near their apartment there in Kyiv,” her uncle said.
“They didn’t want to come to this country and be a burden,” he said. “They wanted to come to this country to build a new life.”
He noted that Zarutska worked from the moment she arrived in North Carolina.
“She was just a very, very caring person,” he said. “She loved to help people.”
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