After the slaughter of a Ukrainian woman aboard a North Carolina commuter train made national headlines and captured the attention of the White House, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is filing federal criminal charges against the killer. On August 22, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death aboard a light rail train car by a man authorities have identified as DeCarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., a 34-year-old black man. Video footage of the murder went viral over social media, with mainstream news media later covering the story.
The DOJ announced on Tuesday that Brown will be prosecuted at the federal level and has been charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man,” Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a statement. Brown had previously been arrested 14 times for various crimes, including assaulting a woman, and had served several years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, and other offenses. Pointing to Brown’s lengthy rap sheet, Bondi observed, “Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.”
“This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life,” declared U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson. “Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most — Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family,” he observed. “But crimes like this also affect everyone who relies on mass transportation to get to and from work and go about their daily lives, and federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems.”
The DOJ noted that Brown could potentially face the death penalty, a consequence President Donald Trump has expressly encouraged. “The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!” the president stated in a Truth Social post.
The president further lambasted Democratic governors, mayors, and prosecutors for failing to address rampant crime and lawlessness. “For far too long, Americans have been forced to put up with Democrat-run cities that set loose savage, bloodthirsty criminals to prey on innocent people,” Trump said in a video, sitting in the Oval Office. “They control radical left judges, politicians, and activists, and they’ve adopted a policy of catch-and-release for thugs and killers. In Charlotte, North Carolina, we saw the results of these policies when a 23-year-old woman who came here from Ukraine met her bloody end on a public train.”
“She was slaughtered by a deranged monster who was roaming free after 14 prior arrests. We cannot allow a depraved criminal element of violent repeat offenders to continue spreading destruction and death throughout our country,” the president continued. “We have to respond with force and strength.”
Brown’s younger half-brother, Jeremiah, faulted progressive crime policies for Zarutska’s death, calling for harsh penalties for his half-brother this time around. “I think they could have pretty much prevented it then,” Jeremiah said of Brown’s 2022 arrest for assaulting a woman. Jeremiah added that he “didn’t know” his family member allegedly suffers from mental health issues. “You can’t just let him walk free, especially because of mental issues,” the younger Brown insisted. “He could do it again. They should still treat him for his mental issues, but there are consequences for his actions. I think he should suffer the consequences.”
According to the New York Post, Brown’s brother Stacey Brown and father Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Sr. have both been imprisoned for attacking white victims. Stacey is currently serving a 27-to-36-year sentence for the murder of 65-year-old Robert Heym.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) accused Trump of trying to “use” Zarutska’s murder “for political points,” calling him a “cynical DC insider” and claiming the president attempted to cut funding for law enforcement. Vice President J.D. Vance quickly fired back, “Law enforcement arrested this thug 14 times. It wasn’t law enforcement that failed. It was weak politicians like you who kept letting him out of prison.” Referring to the U.S. Marine Corps veteran who detained a violent man on a New York City subway train, Vance added, “Daniel Penny prevented this from happening on a NYC subway. Instead of thanking him, many hated him for it,” posted alongside a photo of Zarutska hiding her face as she bled to death.
Mainstream media outlets refused to cover the story for nearly two weeks, while video footage of the brutal murder dominated social media. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt chided mainstream news outlets that she said “have shamefully and intentionally failed to report” the facts in the story. Axios, for example, led with the headline, “Stabbing video fuels MAGA’s crime message,” on September 8, over two weeks after the murder. The New York Times wrote, “A Gruesome Murder in North Carolina Ignites a Firestorm on the Right,” also published September 8. Noting that Zarutska had fled violent conflict in her home country, Leavitt observed, “Tragically, a public transportation system in a major American city was more dangerous than the active war zone she left.”
Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) would also be launching an investigation into the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and its security. “Despite the media and the Charlotte Mayor’s best efforts to censor this tragedy, we have all seen the horrific images of Iryna Zarutska’s last moments on this earth,” Duffy said, referring to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles (D), who blamed the murder on a failure to service Brown’s mental health. Duffy noted that assaults occurring on CATS have risen to over five times the national average over the past year. The investigation will include examining security budgets, the hiring and placement or security personnel, and other security-related aspects.
“This administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to hold these progressive, weak politicians accountable for allowing violent assailants to terrorize our public transit systems,” Duffy said. “At USDOT, that means investigating CATS and other transit agencies to determine whether they are taking the necessary actions to keep riders and transit workers safe.”
The Transportation Secretary confirmed Monday that USDOT’s investigation is a precursor to stripping Charlotte of federal transportation funds. “I can’t pull money today from their transit system, I actually have to do an investigation, that’s what the law requires,” Duffy said in an interview. “We start that investigation tomorrow, and I guarantee … that if I find what I think I’m going to find, they are not going to have your federal tax dollars going to their public transportation system, zero, none, nada,” he continued. “Public transportation has become an epidemic of violence and homelessness across the country. And so, we don’t have a ton of equities at DOT, but we do have money.”
S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand, a news division of the Family Research Council.
Editor’s Note: A World Filled With Violence
When Jesus’ disciples asked Him what the signs of His return would be, the Savior of the World gave a detailed list. Recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus stated that there would be wars and rumors of wars, distress of nations, and lawlessness. These days, Jesus described, would also be like “the days of Noah.” In Genesis 6:5, 11, we read that in the time before the flood: “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”
Is the earth once again being “filled with violence,” just as Jesus forewarned? A brief look at the recent events leads to a sad and unmistakable answer.
The shining light in the midst of this darkness is found in God’s Word. The times leading up to Jesus’ return are described as “perilous,” but they also mean that our redemption as believers draws near (Luke 21:28). Equipped with this hope and the truth of the Bible—including its many prophecies of the future—followers of Christ have an opportunity to open eyes and help transform darkened hearts through the Gospel.
In this late hour, the truth of God’s Word has never been more neglected and never has been more desperately needed.
