CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – The man accused of fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte commuter train returned to federal court Thursday, where he faced a charge connected to causing a death on a mass transportation system. Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, entered the courtroom shackled at the wrists and ankles, listening as a federal judge formally outlined the accusation against him. Investigators say Brown carried out a sudden, unprovoked knife attack in August aboard a Charlotte light rail train, killing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in an assault captured on security footage. He already faces a first-degree murder charge in state court, but federal prosecutors moved forward as well amid heightened scrutiny over why Brown—who has a long history of arrests—had remained free prior to the killing. If convicted in federal court, Brown could receive life in prison or the death penalty. His defense team has requested that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation, noting concerns about his mental stability and ability to understand the proceedings. Court filings indicate that Brown had recently been arrested for repeatedly calling 911 and claiming he was being controlled, and that family members had previously sought to have him committed for psychiatric care. His next court appearance in the state case is set for April, while the federal case continues on a parallel track.
Hours after Brown’s hearing, federal authorities announced charges in a second, unrelated stabbing on the same light rail system—this one non-fatal but similarly alarming to the riding public. Investigators say Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, 33, stabbed another passenger on December 5 after appearing intoxicated and becoming embroiled in a verbal dispute. According to an affidavit, he produced a knife at least a foot long and stabbed the victim in the chest before fleeing the train. Bystanders assisted the injured passenger, and police arrested Solorzano-Garcia shortly afterward. Prosecutors have charged him with committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system as well as illegal reentry into the country, noting he had been removed from the United States twice before and previously convicted for reentering illegally. He now faces the possibility of life in prison on the transportation-related charge and is being held without bond. Officials emphasized that both cases highlight growing concerns about safety aboard public transit and the need to ensure that trains remain secure, accessible spaces for the public.
