The gruesome killing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee that happened last month in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently gained national attention, prompting comments from President Donald Trump as he doubles down on his crime control efforts.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Iryna Zarutska was stabbed in an unprovoked attack on Aug. 22 shortly after she boarded a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) light rail train.
The incident happened just before 10 p.m. in the city's South End. Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple stab wounds, and a suspect was taken into custody.
Later, police said 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.
Zarutska's obituary stated she was born in Kyiv, but she emigrated from Ukraine in 2022 with her mother, sister and brother to escape the war.
She quickly embraced her new life in the United States," her obituary said, also adding that Zarutska was "a gifted and passionate artist" and "had a deep love for animals."
On Friday, CATS released surveillance video on the horrific crime, showing the two had no interaction before the stabbing occurred.
In the video, Zarutska appeared to board the train and sit in front of Brown with her back to him while she was looking down at her phone. Brown appears to pull out a pocket knife and toy with it in his hand before abruptly standing up and attacking her.
"I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic," said President Trump in a post on his Truth Social app. "What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP. The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer's knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and 'Wannabe Senator' Roy Cooper. North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it! Additionally, where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy? VOTE FOR MICHAEL WHATLEY FOR UNITED STATES SENATE, HE WON'T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!"
According to the local NBC-affiliated station, WCNC, CATS confirmed that Brown did not have a ticket to ride the train, and there was also no security present in the car where the attack happened.
WCNC also reported on Brown's past criminal history, stating he was arrested in January of this year for misusing 911. A motion was filed in July to have his competence evaluated, WCNC reported.
WCNC reported that Brown has 14 previous court cases in Mecklenburg County, and was sentenced to six years in state prison after convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering and larceny in 2015.
The tragic incident sparked outrage and debates over safety on public transit systems, crime and mental health.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein posted a statement on X on Monday that said, "I am heartbroken for the family of Iryna Zarutska, who lost their loved one to this senseless act of violence, and I am appalled by the footage of her murder. We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe. That’s why my budget calls for more funding to hire more well-trained police officers. I call upon the legislature to pass my law enforcement recruitment and retention package to address vacancies in our state and local agencies so they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable."
