Charlotte man charged with Iryna Zarutska’s killing could face death penalty

Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, a capital offense that could lead to the death penalty. Brown is accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train on August 22 in what authorities describe as an unprovoked attack. Surveillance video reportedly shows Zarutska entering the train car and sitting in front of Brown. A few minutes later, Brown allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed her three times from behind. There appeared to be no prior interaction between them. Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had escaped the war in her home country, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brown was arrested minutes later by responding officers, and a pocketknife beli... download the app to read more