A young Ukrainian woman came to America seeking the freedom and safety our nation promises. Instead, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska met a brutal death at the hands of a career criminal who should never have been on the streets. Her killer stabbed her to death on a Charlotte light rail train in broad daylight last month.
The suspect is Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., a 34-year-old man with a long history of violence and mental illness. This is exactly what happens when liberal prosecutors and judges go soft on crime. They let dangerous criminals walk free instead of keeping them locked up where they belong.
Brown has schizophrenia and a rap sheet full of violent crimes. Yet somehow he was free to roam our streets and public transportation. How many red flags does our broken system need before it protects innocent people over criminals.
The feds finally stepped in and charged Brown with a federal crime that could put him on death row. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called this murder a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies. She promised to seek the maximum penalty and ensure he never sees freedom again.
This innocent woman fled war in Ukraine only to be murdered by an American criminal our system failed to stop. She was living the American dream until liberal policies turned that dream into a nightmare. Her blood is on the hands of every politician who chose criminals over citizens.
We have a mental health crisis and a crime crisis in this country. Both problems get worse when we refuse to lock up dangerous people who threaten our communities. Iryna deserved better from the country she chose to call home.
Law-abiding Americans should not have to fear riding public transportation because career criminals roam free. We need prosecutors who will throw the book at violent offenders instead of giving them endless second chances. Our justice system exists to protect the innocent, not coddle the guilty.
This case shows why we need the death penalty for the worst killers. Some crimes are so evil that life in prison is not enough. Iryna Zarutska will never get to live her American dream, and her killer should never get another breath of free air.
