Iryna Zarutska survived a war. She escaped Russian bombs in Ukraine and came to America looking for safety.
She found work at a pizzeria in Charlotte. She was learning English. She had a boyfriend who loved her. She was 23 years old.
On August 22, she was riding the light rail home from work. A man sitting behind her pulled out a knife and stabbed her three times in the neck. She died on the floor of that train car.
She never made it home.
The killer had been arrested 14 times before. Fourteen.
He’d spent five years in prison for armed robbery. He was released earlier that year on his own recognizance after another arrest. No bail. Just a promise to show up to court.
He didn’t keep that promise. And Iryna paid the price.
It Almost Happened to Me
This morning, around 7 a.m., I was working in my real estate office in Mesquite. The door was closed. No sign. No lights on. Nothing to suggest the space was open to the public.
A man walked straight in. Older white male, about 60, tall. He didn’t knock. He didn’t hesitate. He opened the door and stepped inside like he knew exactly where he was going.
He stopped just inside the door, removed his glasses, and slowly scanned everything in the room. Immediately, something felt off.
I said, “I think you’re in the wrong place.” He didn’t respond. I repeated myself and stood up from my desk.
Instead of backing out, he walked further into the office. “What kind of office is this?” he asked, still surveying the room.
I walked toward the door to get him out. When I turned back toward him, I saw him going through my wallet. “What are you doing?! You need to leave.”
I tried to usher him toward the door. He cocked back like he was about to strike.
Thank God I wasn’t alone. Two friends in my office stood up immediately and told him to leave. Only then did he slowly exit.
I called 911 right away. Officers are still looking for him.
Was this a simple wrong-door mix-up? It didn’t feel like it. It felt deliberate, unsettling, and dangerous.
We Moved Here to Escape This
Here’s the part that breaks my heart to admit. We moved to Mesquite to get away from this kind of thing.
We came here like so many people do to escape the chaos and unpredictability that’s become everyday life in Las Vegas. We wanted a quieter, safer place to live, work, raise our kids, and build a life.
But lately, it feels like the same problems we tried to outrun are creeping into the place we once believed was shielded from all of that.
This wasn’t the first time someone has wandered into our office. People, including homeless individuals, have done it several times.
Sometimes they’re confused. Sometimes they’re not. But every time it happens, there’s that moment where your heart jumps and you wonder what the next five seconds will bring.
I’m a former legislator. I’m not easily intimidated. And I was terrified.
Now imagine you’re a young woman working at a pizzeria. You’re just trying to get home on the bus.
You have no idea the person sitting behind you has been arrested over and over again. You have no idea your governor and legislators have made it easy for violent offenders to walk free.
That was Iryna. And it could have been me. It could have been any of us.
North Carolina Took Action
After Iryna’s murder, North Carolina lawmakers did something politicians rarely do. They acted fast.
Within a month, they passed “Iryna’s Law.” It takes effect this Monday, December 1. Here’s what the law does.
It ends written promises to appear for repeat violent offenders.
It requires mental health evaluations before judges make bail decisions in certain cases.
It adds tougher penalties for crimes committed on public transportation.
And it gives prosecutors more tools to keep dangerous people locked up before trial.
Governor Josh Stein signed it into law. He said everyone deserves to feel safe on a bus or train. He’s right.
And everyone deserves to feel safe in their own office at 7 in the morning.
Nevada’s Catch-and-Release Problem
We have the same problem here in Nevada. Maybe worse.
Our state Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that judges have to consider “less restrictive alternatives” before setting cash bail. That sounds nice until you realize what it means.
Career criminals with long rap sheets get released on their own recognizance all the time. They promise to show up. They don’t. They commit more crimes.
We also have a mental health crisis in our criminal justice system.
The state just paid over $750,000 in fines because Lakes Crossing Center can’t keep up with evaluations. Defendants wait an average of 74 days for mental health treatment.
That’s more than two months. Some violent offenders sit in jail. Others get released because the system can’t handle the load.
And when someone commits a violent crime on an RTC bus in Las Vegas or Reno? There’s no special penalty. It’s treated the same as if it happened anywhere else.
That’s wrong. People taking the bus to work deserve protection.
What Nevada Should Do
I’ve been watching this issue for months. I’ve talked to prosecutors, public defenders, and families of victims. I’ve looked at what works in other states.
And after what happened to me this morning, I’m convinced Nevada needs our own version of Iryna’s Law.
First, end own recognizance release for repeat violent offenders. If you’ve been convicted of two violent felonies, you don’t get to walk out on a promise. You sit in jail or you post real bail.
Second, require fast mental health screenings before bail decisions in violent cases. Not 74 days later. Within 72 hours.
If someone’s a danger because of untreated mental illness, the judge needs to know that before opening the jail door.
Third, add a sentencing enhancement for violent crimes on public buses and transit. If you attack someone on an RTC bus, you should get extra time. Period.
Fourth, lower the threshold for habitual criminal charges from three violent felonies to two. Three strikes is too many when innocent people are dying.
Fifth, we need real solutions for the homelessness and mental health crisis that’s spreading from Las Vegas to our small towns.
Mesquite shouldn’t have to deal with what we fled from. Neither should Pahrump, Fallon, Elko, or any other community in Nevada.
Critics will say this costs too much. They’ll say it fills up jails. They’ll say it’s not fair to people with mental illness.
I say it’s not fair to let violent repeat offenders prey on working people trying to get home safely.
It’s not fair that small business owners have to fear for their lives in their own offices.
It’s not compassionate to release someone who’s mentally ill and dangerous without treatment.
And it’s not expensive compared to the cost of another Iryna Zarutska.
Why I’m Speaking Up
I’m seriously considering running for my old Assembly seat again.
Watching what’s happening in our state keeps me up at night. And after what happened to me this morning, I know I can’t stay silent.
Good people are getting hurt because our leaders won’t make the hard choices.
Women are afraid to work alone. Parents are afraid to let their kids take the bus. Small business owners are afraid in their own offices. Seniors are afraid to leave their homes.
This isn’t the Nevada I grew up in. This isn’t the Nevada we should accept.
Iryna Zarutska came to America for a better life. She deserved better than to die on a train because a career criminal was set free to hurt someone else.
And every Nevadan deserves better than a system that puts the rights of repeat offenders above the safety of law-abiding citizens.
Nevada can do better. We should do better. And if I run again, this will be one of my top priorities.
We owe it to every person riding the bus home from work. We owe it to every small business owner just trying to make a living. We owe it to every family just trying to live their lives in peace.
It’s time to put public safety first again.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
