Ukrainian Refugee Fatally Stabbed In Charlotte, Sparking Crime Debate As Police Say Attack Was Random
A deadly stabbing in Charlotte has ignited concerns about public safety and gaps in the mental health system.
Surveillance video shows 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, being stabbed to death without provocation on Aug. 22 as she rode on a Charlotte light rail train. Police identified Decarlos Brown Jr., a man in his 30s sitting behind Zarutska on the train, as the suspect in the stabbing.
Brown pulls out a knife and stabs her in the neck without any prior interaction. He then drops the knife and calmly walks off the train, where police arrest him on the platform. Brown’s mother told CNN he struggled with his mental health in the past and had been homeless.
Zarutska fled Ukraine in 2022 with her mother, sister, and brother to escape Russia’s war. She was attending community college, working to become a veterinary assistant.
The case has become a flashpoint in Charlotte and around the country, raising debate over crime, mental health oversight, and how to prevent future tragedies.
ZOOMING IN
Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, and his attorney has filed a motion for a mental competency evaluation.
He has 14 prior arrests, including prison time for robbery and burglary, and a January arrest for misusing 911. Local reports say he was known by authorities to have schizophrenia.
There was no security in the car when the stabbing occurred, and Brown boarded the train without a ticket. Reportedly, security was stationed in another car.
The murder comes as Trump plans to expand the use of federal troops in cities to fight crime. Conservative influencers shared the Charlotte story on social media over the weekend as justification for federal action, saying national media was ignoring the story due to the suspect’s race.
Many pointed to the coverage disparities compared to the Daniel Penny case — a white man who put a Black homeless man in a fatal chokehold on the NYC subway in 2023.
We’re hearing from members of the Mo News community — on both sides of the political divide — who say unprovoked violence in their cities has left them fearful, and many say they would welcome help from the National Guard.
To note: Polling from CBS shows that overall, the majority (58%) of Americans do not agree with deploying the National Guard to cities. However, a strong majority of Republicans (85%) support Trump’s moves — that’s compared to just 7% of Democrats.
From Mo News Community Member
NUMBERS VS FEELINGS
Through the first half of 2025, overall crime is down nationally compared to the same period last year — with homicides falling 17%. Still, many people say they don’t feel safer.
Charlotte saw a 25% drop in violent crime in the first half of 2025 — including homicides, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, and shootings. Property crime — including burglaries, car theft, and larceny — is down 5%.