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Iryna Zarutska's ‘heartbroken’ family breaks silence days after her murder, ‘She came here to find peace and safety…’
The family of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was killed on a Charlotte light rail train by Decarlos Brown Jr., has spoken out days after her death.
The family of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train by Decarlos Brown Jr., has spoken out days after her death. The 34-year-old career criminal ambushed Zarutska on the Lynx Blue Line just before 10 pm on August 22, as seen in surveillance footage.
“We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way,” a family spokesperson said in the statement issued by lawyers and obtained by WSOC-9. “No family should have to go through this.”
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Zarutska’s relatives demanded that Brown be locked up, and also stressed the need to address the “broader crisis in public safety and systemic failure.” The relatives are urging the media and public to respect Zarutska’s dignity by not reposting the graphic video of her murder.
Extended video released
An extended video of the murder, which shows Brown stabbing Zarutska in the neck with a pocket knife, has surfaced on social media. Initial videos did not show the exact moment she was stabbed.
The haunting new video shows the look of fear in Zarutska’s eyes after Brown ambushed her. She can be seen cowering in fear and covering her face with her hands after the attack. She falls to the floor a few seconds later.
While some shocked passengers did not help Zarutska, others tried to perform CPR on her, and one man took his shirt off to dress her wound, WSOCTV reported. One passenger rushed to tell the train operator about the attack. Brown was arrested by officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department as he stepped off the train.
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FBI Director Kash Patel released a statement after Brown was federally charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, saying, “The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America. The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served, and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again.”
He added, “I want to thank Attorney General [Pam] Bondi for her pursuit of today’s federal charges, which are the first step toward delivering justice for Iryna and her family – as well as the millions of Americans who deserve to live in our great American cities free from being targeted by violent criminals.”
