A beautiful young Ukrainian woman who fled war came to America seeking safety. Instead, she found death at the hands of a career criminal who should have been locked up. Iryna Zarutska was just 23 years old when she was brutally stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train. She was still wearing her work uniform from her job at a pizzeria when a savage attacked her with a knife.
The killer is Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old career criminal with 14 prior cases on his record. He spent five years in prison for armed robbery and had a history of mental illness and erratic behavior. He was even arrested earlier this year for repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital. Yet somehow, this dangerous man was walking free on our streets.
This tragedy shows what happens when liberal judges and parole boards put criminals back on the streets. Brown cycled through the justice system for over a decade while racking up more charges. The system failed completely, and an innocent woman paid the price with her life. Our revolving door justice system has blood on its hands.
Iryna came to America to escape the dangers of war in Ukraine. She worked hard at her job and used public transportation like millions of Americans do every day. But thanks to failed liberal policies, our own cities have become more dangerous than war zones. This young woman survived a war only to be murdered by a repeat offender.
The attack was completely random and caught on surveillance video. Iryna sat down in front of Brown on the train, and four minutes later he pulled out a knife and stabbed her three times. There was no interaction between them before the attack. This was pure evil unleashed by a broken system.
President Trump rightfully drew attention to this case when the media tried to ignore it. He pointed out that public transportation in America had become more dangerous than the war zone Iryna fled. The White House called for justice and highlighted how the media shamefully failed to report this tragedy.
Charlotte officials are now scrambling to increase security after this preventable murder. They are adding more patrols and security personnel to the transit system. But these measures come too late for Iryna and her family who trusted that America would keep her safe.
We must hold judges and parole boards accountable when they release dangerous criminals who then commit more crimes. Career criminals like Brown should stay locked up to protect innocent people. Until we get tough on crime and stop coddling repeat offenders, more innocent Americans will die needlessly.
