Ukrainian Refugee Fatally Stabbed in Random Attack on Charlotte Light Rail; Ex-Convict Charged with Murder

Charlotte, September 7:A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, was fatally stabbed in a random and unprovoked attack aboard a Charlotte light rail train on August 22. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a homeless ex-convict with a long criminal record, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Surveillance footage released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) on Friday captured Zarutska’s final moments. Dressed in her pizzeria uniform, she boarded the Lynx Blue Line at 9:46 p.m. and sat quietly scrolling on her phone. Just four minutes later, Brown allegedly pulled out a folding knife and stabbed her three times, including once in the neck.

The video shows Zarutska collapsing as she clutched her throat, while Brown stripped off his sweatshirt and stood calmly near the doors. He exited at the next station, where police later recovered the weapon. Zarutska was pronounced dead on the train.

Suspect’s Criminal History
Court records reveal Brown’s extensive criminal background, including convictions for larceny, armed robbery, and issuing threats. He previously served five years in prison for armed robbery. Earlier this year, he was arrested for misusing 911 during a welfare check, during which he made bizarre claims that a “man-made” material inside his body was controlling his movements, according to an affidavit cited by the Charlotte Observer.

Brown sustained a hand injury during the stabbing and was treated before being taken into custody.

Transit Safety Concerns
The killing has raised urgent questions about safety on Charlotte’s transit system. According to Spectrum News, it took six minutes for police to arrive after the attack, while security guards present on the train were in a different car at the time.

In response, CATS officials announced a series of security measures, including the hiring of a chief safety and security officer, tripling of the transit security budget, and upgrades to surveillance technology. The Charlotte City Council is set to consider expanding police patrols across buses and trains in a meeting scheduled for September 22.

Officials said the release of the surveillance video followed repeated requests from the media. Investigators continue to search for a motive behind the seemingly unprovoked attack.