"I have directed our attorneys to pursue federal murder charges against DeCarlos Brown Jr., who has a history of violent crime. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unconscionable act of violence. He will never again see the light of day as a free man," US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on 9/9.
The case of 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., accused of killing Ukrainian citizen Iryna Zarutska on 22/8 on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has become a political flashpoint in the US. The Trump administration is using the case to highlight its tough-on-crime stance in major cities and to criticize Democrats.
Bondi said Zarutska's death, "a young woman living the American dream," was a direct result of soft-on-crime policies and favoring criminals over innocent people in some cities.
The Justice Department said Brown is being prosecuted on a federal charge of committing homicide on public transportation, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty.
The Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, district attorney has also charged Brown with first-degree murder.
Criminal cases in the US are typically handled by local prosecutors under state and local criminal law, while federal prosecution applies only to acts that violate federal law.
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The moment suspect DeCarlos Brown (behind) stabbed Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte on 22/8. Photo: CTAS |
The moment suspect DeCarlos Brown (behind) stabbed Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte on 22/8. Photo: CTAS
Surveillance video from 22/8, widely circulated on social media, shows Brown seeing the victim board the train, sit down in the row in front of him, pull a knife from his pocket, and then attack her. It all happened within minutes, despite no prior interaction between the two.
An attorney who previously represented Brown said he has "a long history" of mental health issues. The case has shocked the US public and sparked political debate over crime and public safety.
President Trump accused Democrat-led cities, including Charlotte, of being too lenient on street crime. In a post on Truth Social on 8/9, he said Zarutska's blood "is on the hands of the Democrats."
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt noted that Brown had a criminal record, including a 5-year prison sentence for armed robbery.
"This monster should have been locked up, and Iryna would still be alive. But Democratic politicians, left-wing judges, and weak prosecutors chose optics over protecting their communities," Leavitt said.
Thanh Danh (AFP)
