President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the death penalty for the man charged with killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, a move that came as the Justice Department announced a federal charge in the case and local officials faced scrutiny over transit safety.
The Justice Department on Tuesday charged Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, with "committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system," and Attorney General Pam Bondi said prosecutors "will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man." On Truth Social, Trump wrote that the "animal who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine... should be given a 'quick' (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded the death penalty. There can be no other option!!!"
Prosecutors say Zarutska, 23, who fled a bomb shelter in Ukraine in 2022 and had been living in the United States, was stabbed Aug. 22 as she rode the LYNX Blue Line home from her job at a pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina. Local authorities charged Brown with first-degree murder in the state case; the new federal charge opens the possibility of seeking the severest penalty under federal law.
U.S. Attorney Russell Ferguson said at a news conference that Zarutska's family declined to have her body returned to Ukraine because "she loved America" and wanted to be buried there. FBI Director Kash Patel said the Justice Department will "ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again."
Brown, described by prosecutors as a career criminal, has an arrest record that officials say includes 14 prior arrests dating to 2011, with charges ranging from felony larceny to robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault. He was convicted in 2015 of robbery with a dangerous weapon and served more than six years in prison. Court records and reporting also note ongoing concerns about Brown's mental health; he was arrested in 2025 for allegedly misusing 911 calls and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is currently committed to a hospital for at least a 60-day psychiatric evaluation.
The attack has prompted political pressure and calls for accountability in Charlotte. North Carolina Rep. Tim Moore and nine other Republicans urged the removal of the judge who released Brown before the fatal stabbing. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from the city while federal and local authorities probe whether officials adequately protected passengers on the transit system. Since 2007, the Department of Transportation has committed approximately $797 million to construct the LYNX Blue Line.
Legal experts say pursuing the death penalty in a federal case requires meeting specific statutory and evidentiary thresholds and is subject to prosecutorial discretion. The Justice Department's announcement did not specify whether prosecutors will seek capital punishment, but Bondi's statement committing to the "maximum penalty" signals prosecutors will consider the full range of federal penalties available.
The case has drawn attention to the intersection of criminal justice, mental health policy and transit safety. Officials have not provided a timetable for Brown's federal prosecution; state proceedings are likely to be affected by his current psychiatric hold. Authorities have released surveillance video showing the attack and have said they continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the killing.
Zarutska's death has renewed debate in Charlotte and beyond over public safety on transit systems and the handling of individuals with serious mental illness in the criminal justice system. Federal and local investigators said they will continue to gather evidence as prosecutors determine the next legal steps in both the state and federal cases.