Charlotte Light Rail Suspect Indicted, Faces Death Penalty

A federal grand jury in Western North Carolina indicted Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, on Oct. 22 on charges of violence against a railroad carrier and a mass transportation system resulting in the Aug. 22 killing of 23‑year‑old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte LYNX Blue Line. Prosecutors say surveillance video shows Brown stabbing Zarutska multiple times from behind while she sat on the train, and the indictment includes special findings that make him eligible for life imprisonment or the death penalty. Brown, arrested at the station, also faces state first‑degree murder charges and has a lengthy criminal history, including a 2015 robbery conviction cited by prosecutors seeking enhanced penalties. Zarutska, who fled Ukraine and was working while attending community college in Charlotte, is mourned by family counsel who called the indictment a step toward justice. The widely circulated video prompted local transit‑safety changes and passage of “Iryna’s Law,” and Brown remains in custody while his defense has sought a competency evaluation as federal and state court proceedings continue.