The man accused of fatally stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge that could result in the death penalty, court records show.

Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, was charged in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, according to court records. He was previously arrested and charged in state court with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Iryna Zarutska on Aug. 22.

On Oct. 22, a grand jury in North Carolina found that Brown had "intentionally killed" Zarutska in what authorities called an unprovoked attack, court records state. Federal prosecutors said Brown had stabbed Zarutska three times from behind with a pocketknife while they were riding on the Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train.

Zarutska, who authorities said was on her way home from a shift at a pizza shop, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brown was arrested by responding officers on the light rail platform and subsequently charged.

The federal indictment states that the charge makes Brown eligible for the death penalty. While both the federal and state charges carry possible death sentences, the state of North Carolina has not carried out an execution since 2006, while the federal government has carried out executions as recently as 2021.

The murder of Zarutska drew national attention after a video showing the stabbing was released. President Donald Trump and his allies used the case to justify plans to expand his crime crackdown in Democratic-led cities.

Death of Iryna Zarutska sparked backlash against state, local officials

Zarutska moved to the United States with her mother, sister, and brother three years ago after fleeing war in Ukraine, where she had lived in a bomb shelter, prosecutors said. She settled in Charlotte with her family and had worked several jobs, including at a pizza shop and a senior care facility.

Zarutska was a "gifted and passionate artist" who had earned a degree in art and restoration from a Kyiv college, her family said in an obituary. She dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant, according to the obituary.

In early September, transit officials in North Carolina released graphic video footage showing the fatal stabbing of Zarutska, which prompted fierce backlash against city and state officials. The Trump administration had asserted that the murder was the result of Democratic policies that are too lenient on criminals and blamed local authorities for failing to "properly punish" Brown after his previous arrests.

Trump also escalated his threats to deploy the National Guard to cities run by Democrats. Local officials have rejected the Trump administration's claims and have urged the president not to deploy troops.

Following the incident, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, said the city would step up police patrols on the light rail and begin new safety operations. She also called for bipartisan legislation to make sure repeat offenders and those who need treatment for mental illness are kept off the streets.

"Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety," she said in a statement on Sept. 8.

Court records: Suspect had a long criminal history

Brown has a long criminal history and spent several years in prison for armed robbery, according to court records. Since 2007, he has had at least 14 separate cases in the criminal court system in Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, USA TODAY previously reported.

When Brown was 22 years old, he was charged in at least four separate cases that included shoplifting, larceny, breaking and entering, and felony conspiracy. Court records show he was convicted of all charges except conspiracy.

Less than a year later, Brown pulled a gun on a man in the middle of the day at a Charlotte apartment complex and robbed him of his cellphone and $450, according to court records. Brown pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal, and a judge sentenced him to serve between six and eight years in prison.

Prison records show Brown spent six years in prison, followed by a year of probation.

His most recent prior arrest came in January this year for misuse of 911, after he called police to investigate what he claimed was a "man-made" material someone had put inside him to control his behavior, according to court records. A judge later released him without bail.

In July, a judge agreed with a defense attorney's request to have Brown mentally evaluated for competency to understand the court proceedings he faced. It's unclear whether Brown was evaluated before the murder of Zarutska.

Contributing: Christopher Cann and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; F.T. Norton, The Fayetteville Observer; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Suspect in Charlotte train stabbing of Ukrainian refugee faces possible death penalty

Reporting by Thao Nguyen and Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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