Donald Trump is calling for the death penalty for the ‘animal’ who murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.

A surveillance video from the Charlotte Light Rail shows Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, stabbing Zarutska on August 22.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday: ‘The individual who so brutally murdered the beautiful young woman from Ukraine… should receive a ‘swift’ (there is no doubt!) trial, and be sentenced to the death penalty.’

‘There can be no other option!!!’ the president wrote.

The Justice Department announced on Tuesday its indictment of Brown with a federal offense of ‘committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.’

‘We will pursue the maximum penalty for this inexcusable act of violence — he will never again experience freedom,’ Attorney General Pam Bondi stated regarding the charges.

Zarutska, 23, fled a bomb shelter in Ukraine to come to the U.S. in 2022 and escape the deadly war with Russia.

But just a few years later, the Ukrainian refugee was stabbed to death by Brown as she was commuting home from her job at a local pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina.

President Donald Trump is calling for the death penalty for Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, who is charged with murdering Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska

Iryna Zarutska, 23, fled Ukraine in 2022 to escape the country’s deadly war with Russia

‘The animal who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine … should be given a ‘quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded the death penalty. There can be no other option!!!’ President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday

U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said at a press conference on Tuesday that Zarutska’s family declined to have her body returned to Ukraine because ‘she loved America’ and would want to be buried there.

Brown, who was charged and named as the suspected killer, is a career criminal. He has an extensive record of 14 previous arrests prior to the deadly stabbing last month.

His criminal history dates back to 2011 with charges ranging from felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the DOJ will ‘ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again.’

But Trump wants to go further and is calling for the death penalty.

In a video message posted on Tuesday, the president lamented that Zarutska ‘was slaughtered by a deranged monster who was roaming free after 14 prior arrests.’

‘We cannot allow a depraved criminal element of violent repeat offenders to continue spreading destruction and death throughout our country,’ he said. ‘We have to respond with force and strength, we have to be vicious, just like they are. It’s the only thing they understand.’

Trump said this latest murder is proof that America has a violent crime problem. He wants to address this by sending National Guard troops into big cities to crackdown on crime – just like he did over the last month in Washington, D.C.

North Carolina Rep. Tim Moore and nine other Republicans called for the removal of the judge who released Brown.

In 2015 he was convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon and served a more than six-year prison sentence.

Surveillance video from the Charlotte Light Rail shows Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, stabbing Zarutska on August 22, 2025 as she returned home from her job at a local pizzeria

Brown is now charged with first-degree murder for his stabbing of Zarutska.

Currently the 34-year-old is committed to a hospital for at least 60 days for a psychiatric evaluation.

Court records and multiple reports highlight ongoing concerns about Brown’s mental health and repeated releases despite a pattern of offenses.

Mostly recently, Brown was arrested in 2025 for misusing 911 calls made from a hospital due to delusional behavior linked to his schizophrenia diagnosis.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to wipe millions in federal funding from the city of Charlotte amid a probe into whether officials are adequately protecting passengers in the wake of the violent attack.

Since 2007, the Department of Transportation has committed $797 million to construct the LYNX Blue Line light rail – the very railway Zarutska was riding when she was murdered.

Brown was arrested 14 times prior to the murder last month and in 2015 was sentenced to more than six years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon