The man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train in North Carolina’s largest city appeared in federal court on Thursday, as his attorneys seek a hearing to determine whether he is mentally incompetent to face the charge against him or possibly the death penalty.

Decarlos Brown Jr. and his attorneys made an initial court appearance in a Charlotte courtroom on the count of causing death on a mass transportation system. Shackled from his hands and ankles and wearing a jumpsuit, Brown kept his head up looking at U.S. District Judge Susan Rodriguez while she read the charge against him.

"He was advised of his rights by a federal judge. He's now in federal custody and his federal case will move forward according to the federal rules of criminal procedure," said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney, Western District of North Carolina.

Authorities accuse Brown of stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail car in August, in an apparently random attack captured on video.

Authorities also gave additional details about the suspect in a second stabbing on the light rail that occurred last week.

A Honduran man was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon and other counts for stabbing a man in the chest during a fight. The victim was hospitalized. The suspect had been deported twice and has previous convictions for robbery and illegal reentry, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

"The person charged in this crime, Oscar Solorzano-Garcia, never should have been in Charlotte or ever been in this country. He had been deported twice," said FBI Special Agent James C. Barnacle, Jr.

AP Video by Erik Verduzco