A video of a violent attack on the light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, has sparked online discourse on the Trump administration’s plans to use the federal government to counter crime in large cities.
The unprompted attack happened shortly before 10 p.m. on Aug. 22. The victim, Iryna Zarutska, was a refugee from Ukraine. Court documents with a video of the attack showed Zarutska entering the light rail train car and sitting down directly in front of the suspect.
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“The train travels for approximately four and half minutes before the suspect pulls knife from his pocket, unfolds the knife, pauses, then stands up, and strikes at the victim three times,” a police detective wrote in an affidavit.
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“Blood visibly drips on the floor as the defendant walks away from the victim. The victim goes unresponsive shortly after the attack. The defendant is the assailant on the video. There appears to be no interaction between the victim and defendant,” the affidavit states.
Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., was taken to the hospital to be treated for a laceration on the outside of his hand, but he is now in jail. He was charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond. A judge ordered Brown to be evaluated for 60 days, and his next court appearance is on Sept. 19.
Brown’s criminal record includes more than a dozen charges of armed robbery, felony larceny, breaking and entering, and shoplifting dating back to 2014, according to jail records reviewed by WBTV. He was jailed for five years for armed robbery. After he was released in 2020, he was arrested five months later for assault.
In court Friday, Zarutska’s uncle said, “Iryna was a sweet angel. The accused has taken a very bright, beautiful woman from our family, and we are heartbroken by that. I ask the court not to release him and potentially be a menace to other people.”
The video of the attack spread in online circles over the weekend.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles offered her condolences and said she did not think it was appropriate to share the video widely.
“The video of the heartbreaking attack that took Iryna Zarutska’s life is now public. I want to thank our media partners and community members who have chosen not to repost or share the footage out of respect for Iryna’s family,” she said.
“This was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time,” the mayor said. “Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the mayor’s comments.
“Charlotte’s Mayor doesn’t want the media to show you the ugly truth. Why? Because she and other public officials in her city bear responsibility,” Duffy posted on social media.
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President Donald Trump called the incident “horrible” when asked about it Sunday and indicated he would be briefed on it Monday.
“Horrible,” Trump said Sunday. “I haven’t heard [but] I’ll know all about it by tomorrow morning.”