(CNN) — Gruesome video shows a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee getting stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train – a case that has turned into a flashpoint as the Trump administration vows to crack down on crime in large, predominantly Democratic cities.

The unprovoked attack happened shortly before 10 p.m. August 22, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said. A caller said a woman was stabbed in the throat.

The victim, Iryna Zarutska, fled Ukraine in 2022 with her mother, sister, and brother to escape the war with Russia – “and she quickly embraced her new life in the United States,” her obituary states.

Video of the attack shows Zarutska entering a train car and taking a seat directly in front of the suspect, court documents state.

“The train travels for approximatel

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