Iryna Zarutska's killer charged at federal level, faces death penalty

A federal grand jury in North Carolina has indicted Decarlos Brown Jr. for a violent attack on a railroad and mass transit operator that resulted in the death of one person. Under US federal law, he could face the death penalty, ABC News reports.

On August 22, Brown stabbed 23-year-old Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska to death from behind on a light rail train in Charlotte. A pocket knife and other items were seized at the scene. There had been no interaction between the defendant and the victim prior to the attack.

Zarutska died at the scene, and a witness showed the police where the suspect was located. Arriving officers arrested Brown on the platform.

According to the North Carolina Department of Corrections, the 34-year-old defendant has a criminal history, including theft and burglary. In 2015, he was sentenced to five years in prison for armed robbery.

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