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CHARLOTTE – The stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a train comes amid a nationwide debate about law enforcement and safety. Now, commuters in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Zarutska was stabbed on Aug. 22, are wondering whether they are protected while riding the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).
“I worked right up the street at the gas station and was actually at work when it happened on the train, so I was kind of, I don’t know what was going to happen,” one woman told Fox News Digital on Monday. “I didn’t know if he had gotten away or what happened, but it kind of made me wary about getting on the train after that.”
Another woman who spoke to Fox News Digital while waiting to ride the light rail said she was grateful she was not in the city when the stabbing occurred, calling the surveillance video “very disturbing.”
“Female safety is a big concern everywhere, and now it’s even more so an extra concern popping on the train,” the woman said. “I never have two earbuds in; I always just have one [so I’m] very aware of my surroundings for that reason. I do not want that to happen to me.”
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While both women said they were aware of the attack, they also said that they felt safe on CATS. Another commuter who spoke with Fox News Digital agreed but said the fact he was there during the day could play a role in why he feels safe riding the system. One of the women who spoke with Fox News Digital said that she doesn’t ride the light rail after dark because of safety concerns.
In July, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its mid-year public safety statistics, boasting a 29% drop in homicides.
“I am incredibly proud of our patrol officers, who are in our neighborhoods daily, engaging with the community, observing suspicious activity and providing our detectives with the crucial information needed to arrest violent offenders,” Deputy Chief Ryan Butler said in a statement. “The progress we’re making in reducing violent crime comes from strong, ongoing teamwork.”
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However, the stabbing, which was captured on surveillance video, is making some feel as though the drop in crime isn’t enough.
The viral video of the attack shows Zarutska boarding the train and sitting in front of a man wearing a red hoodie. Zarutska began scrolling on her phone and after a few minutes the man pulled out a knife and stabbed her.
The suspect in the video has since been identified as Decarlos Brown, who is charged with first-degree murder, according to the Mecklenburg County arrest warrant. Fox News Digital obtained records showing that Brown has a history of arrests going back over a decade.
His record includes a 2013 conviction for larceny and breaking and entering, as well as a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon, which sent him to prison. He was released in 2020 and remained on parole until 2021.
Since his arrest, North Carolina leaders, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Gov. Josh Stein, have faced backlash over their responses to the attack and approach to crime. Stein appeared to call for more police presence in his statement, drawing criticism from White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson, who accused the governor of “trying to shift the blame.”
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