Alleged Charlotte light rail attacker facing federal charge

Federal criminal charges were filed in Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon by the United States Department of Justice against the man accused of fatally stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte light rail over two weeks ago.

The Department of Justice said on Tuesday, Aug. 9, that they have filed federal criminal charges against 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr. He was charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

“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,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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.”

The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

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