Man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte light rail charged with federal crime

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday charged a man with a lengthy arrest record with the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a North Carolina commuter train last month, meaning he could face the death penalty.

The federal charge comes amid growing questions about why Decarlos Brown Jr. was on the street despite 14 prior criminal cases before he pulled out a knife and killed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in an apparently random attack captured on video.

The case has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over whether cities such as Charlotte are adequately addressing violent crime, mental illness, and transit safety.

Zarutska had come to the United States to escape the war in Ukraine, relatives wrote in a GoFundMe post, describing her as determined to build a safer life.

Brown was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder by North Carolina prosecutors. He now also faces a federal charge of causing death on a mass transportation system, which carries up to life in prison or the death penalty.

The death penalty is a potential punishment for people convicted of first-degree murder in North Carolina. However, the state has not carried out an execution since 2006.

Legal challenges over the use of lethal injection drugs and a doctor’s presence at executions have, in part, delayed action.

Brown had cycled through the criminal justice system for more than a decade, with 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County, including serving five years for robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to court records.

His mother told local television she sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment this year after he became violent at home. Doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia.