Iryna Zarutska: Ukrainian Refugee Fatally Stabbed By Homeless Ex-convict in Random Charlotte Train Attack
A young woman who had recently escaped the war in her home country was killed last month in a random attack on a city train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
On Friday evening, August 22, 2025, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was brutally stabbed.
The tragic incident has shaken the city and has also led to a nationwide discussion about crime and mental health.
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| Iryna Zarutska |
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| Iryna Zarutska |
Surveillance footage from that fateful day, which was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System, shows Zarutska boarding the train and sitting down.
Behind her was 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a homeless man who seemed restless and agitated.
Just five minutes into the ride, Brown allegedly stood up, pulled out a pocket knife, and stabbed Zarutska three times in the neck. She collapsed in her seat and was pronounced dead at the scene, as reported by Telegraph News.
The footage then shows Brown moving through the train car, walking in circles, before removing his bloody hoodie. He then calmly got off at the next stop, where police arrested him and recovered the weapon.
Iryna Zarutska had recently left her home in Kyiv, Ukraine, hoping to find safety and stability in the United States.
She settled in Charlotte, got a job at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria, and she was even still wearing her work uniform on the night she was killed..
Friends described her as hopeful and hardworking, having just started her new beginning far from the conflict in her homeland.
A GoFundMe campaign set up to support her family called her death an "irreparable loss." The page states, “Ira had recently arrived in the United States, seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning. Tragically, her life was cut short far too soon.”
The fundraiser has already raised tens of thousands of dollars from a heartbroken community.
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| Decarlos Brown |
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| Moments before the fatal incident |
After Decarlos Brown Jr's arrest, he was charged with first-degree murder. Authorities have confirmed that the attack was a random and unprovoked attack with no clear motive.
According to New York Post, police records show that Brown has been arrested over 14 times in the past. He reportedly has a long and disturbing criminal history dating back to 2011, including charges for felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and communicating threats.
Brown had previously served five years in prison for armed robbery, and just months after his release in September 2020, he was arrested again for assaulting his sister, leaving her with minor injuries.
According to The Charlotte Observer, his most recent encounter with police was in January 2025, when he was arrested and charged with misusing the 911 system.
An affidavit from that incident reveals clear signs of a mental health crisis. Brown told officers he believed a “man-made” material inside his body was controlling his actions, like when he ate, walked, and talked.
“Officers advised Brown that the issue was a medical issue and that there was nothing further they could do,” the affidavit stated.
His court-appointed attorney has filed a motion challenging his “capacity to proceed,” indicating that his mental state will likely play a key role in the case.
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