Gruesome video shows a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee getting stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train – a case that has turned into a flashpoint as the Trump administration vows to crack down on crime in large, predominantly Democratic cities.
The attack happened shortly before 10 p.m. August 22, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said. A caller said a woman was stabbed in the throat.
Video obtained by CNN affiliate WCNC from the Charlotte Area Transit System shows the moment before the fatal stabbing. – WCNC/Charlotte Area Transit System
The victim, Iryna Zarutska, is a refugee who recently fled from war-torn Ukraine, CNN affiliate WBTV reported.
Video of the attack shows Zarutska entering a train car and taking a seat directly in front of the suspect, court documents state.
“The train travels for approximately four and half minutes before the suspect pulls knife from his pocket, unfolds the knife, pauses, then stands up, and strikes at the victim three times,” a police detective wrote in an affidavit.
“Blood visibly drips on the floor as the defendant walks away from the victim. The victim goes unresponsive shortly after the attack. The defendant is the assailant on the video. There appears to be no interaction between the victim and defendant,” the affidavit states.
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, was taken to a hospital for treatment of a laceration and charged with first-degree murder.
A judge has ordered Brown to be evaluated for 60 days in a local hospital. CNN is trying to reach his attorney for comment.
Brown has 14 previous court cases in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, WCNC reported. He was sentenced to six years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering and larceny in Mecklenburg County in 2015, WCNC said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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