DOJ Announces Federal Charges Against Suspect in Fatal Stabbing of Ukrainian Woman

‘We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence,’ said the U.S. attorney general.

Iryna Zarutska (bottom R) before she was fatally stabbed on a commuter train on Aug. 22, 2025, in a still from video. Charlotte Area Transit System via AP

The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged the man accused of fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee on a light rail last month in Charlotte, North Carolina, amid a growing national outcry over her murder.

Last week, local officials in Charlotte released footage of the moments before Iryna Zarutska, 23, was killed. In the video, she is shown sitting on the light-rail in front of the suspect, identified as DaCarlos Brown Jr., who has a lengthy violent criminal history, before he takes out a knife and swings at her head. The video is cut short before he makes contact.