A disturbing new video has emerged showing the final moments of a young Ukrainian refugee’s life before she was brutally murdered on a Charlotte light rail train last month.
The surveillance footage was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).
It captures 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska boarding the Lynx Blue Line just after 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 22.
Zarutska, wearing her pizzeria uniform, can be seen scrolling on her phone as she takes a seat.
Behind her sits a man in a red hoodie.
Just four minutes later, he suddenly pulls out a knife and stabs Zarutska from behind three times, including at least once in the neck.
Zarutska, who fled war-torn Ukraine in search of safety, grabs her neck as blood pours onto the train floor.
Authorities pronounced her dead at the scene.
After the attack, the suspect is seen calmly walking through the train car.
He removes his sweatshirt and waits by the doors as stunned passengers look on.
The video shows the moments leading up to the brutal attack.
WATCH:
Police identified the attacker as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown.
Brown was arrested shortly after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder.
Records obtained by The New York Post reveal Brown’s extensive criminal history spanning more than a decade.
His past charges include felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and communicating threats.
Authorities confirmed the attack was random and that Brown and Zarutska had no prior connection.
Zarutska’s murder has reignited concerns about public safety on Charlotte’s transit system.
Members of the Charlotte City Council voiced alarm in the days after her death, citing rising violence on public transportation.
Rep. Brenden Jones (R-NC), who represents the area, directly blamed Democrat policies for the tragedy.
In a post on X, Jones wrote:
“Violent criminals commit crimes with impunity, while families live in fear.”
Jones added that Zarutska’s death was “the result of decades of Democrat DAs and Sheriffs putting their woke agendas above public safety.”
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