Particle.news
Download on the App Store
18 ARTICLES
·
35m ago

Charlotte Crime Hearing Puts Repeat-Offender Policies Under Harsh Spotlight After Lawmaker’s Mix‑Up

Emotional testimony intensified pressure on North Carolina as the 'Iryna’s Law' package sits on Gov. Josh Stein’s desk.

Steve Federico gathers himself as he waits to testify about his daughter Logan Federico, who was murdered, during The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight field hearing on violent crime in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
A light rail train passes by as community members gather for a vigil honoring the life of Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on a commuter train last month, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Mia Alderman testifies about the murder of her granddaughter Mary Santina Collins during at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight hearing on violent crime in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Flowers and photos are left near the tracks where Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on a commuter train last month, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Overview

  • The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight held a field hearing in Charlotte examining violent crime, repeat offenders and pretrial release decisions following the killing of Iryna Zarutska.
  • Rep. Deborah Ross mistakenly identified a photo of Logan Federico as Zarutska during her remarks; Logan’s father, Steve Federico, corrected her and Ross apologized on the record.
  • Federico described his daughter’s May killing in Columbia, South Carolina, and criticized lenient policies; suspect Alexander Dickey is charged with murder and related counts and faces a potential life sentence amid reports of nearly 40 prior arrests.
  • Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on Charlotte’s light rail in August; suspect DeCarlos Brown Jr. has been charged and had roughly 14 prior arrests, with local reporting noting he was out on cashless release.
  • North Carolina lawmakers advanced an omnibus bill dubbed 'Iryna’s Law' to curb cashless releases and expand mental-health evaluations, as Republicans pushed tougher detention rules and Democrats emphasized funding for prosecutors and treatment resources.