Video/Pics: Brutal train murder suspect indicted, facing death penalty

The man who allegedly murdered a Ukrainian refugee on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August is facing the death penalty after being indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday.  

According to ABC News, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. was indicted by a federal grand jury for violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death after allegedly stabbing and murdering 23-year-old Iryna Zaruska on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte on August 22. The outlet noted that the charge Brown is facing is a capital offense and could lead to the death penalty.

A video and photos from the August 22 stabbing incident show Brown pulling out a knife and stabbing Zaruska three times roughly four minutes after the Ukrainian refugee entered the Lynx Blue Line light rail car and sat down in a seat one row in front of the 34-year-old suspect.

An arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News indicated that there did not appear to be any “interaction” between Zaruska and Brown prior to the fatal stabbing incident. ABC News reported that law enforcement officials arrested Brown on a Charlotte rail platform following the August 22 incident.

According to ABC News, Brown has a criminal record that includes charges of breaking and entering, larceny, and robbery with a dangerous weapon. The outlet noted that the 34-year-old was in prison for five years, starting in 2015, after committing a robbery with a dangerous weapon. The New York Post reported that Brown was previously arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for multiple crimes.

Prior to Wednesday’s federal grand jury indictment, Brown was federally indicted on one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, according to The New York Post. In addition to the indictments, The New York Post reported that Brown is facing a first-degree murder charge in North Carolina.

In a Truth Social post last month, President Donald Trump called for Brown to be punished with the death penalty. 

Trump wrote, “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.”