Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman, reportedly fled her country due to the ongoing war with Russia and arrived in the United States. Shortly after, however, she was stabbed to death at a North Carolina train station, allegedly by 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr.
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According to a release issued by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the incident occurred on Friday, August 22. At around 10 p.m., CMPD officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon report on Camden Road.
Upon arrival, police found a woman, later identified as Zarutska, having suffered multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced deceased at the scene, a train station.
Shortly after arriving at the scene, Brown, the alleged stabber, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He has been charged with first-degree murder, according to The Charlotte Observer. Brown will be arrested upon his release, as per the CMPD.
Court records obtained by the outlet showed a history of criminal charges filed against Brown. Charges include robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony larceny.
Recently, in January 2025, he was charged with misuse of the 911 system. He allegedly reported that someone had given him a “man-made” material that was controlling him, as per an affidavit obtained by the outlet.
Ukrainian Refugee
A GoFundMe revealed that Iryna Zarutska had recently arrived in the United States, seeking a new beginning. She had fled her country due to the ongoing war with Russia. However, her life was cut short, and her family has been left devastated.
“This is an irreparable loss for her family,” the fundraiser read. “We have created this fundraiser to support Valeria and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses.”
The fundraiser will help raise funds to cover Zarutska’s “unexpected expenses,” as well as to support her family through this difficult time.
City Council Member Edwin Peacock demanded safety improvements in the city’s transit system following the fatal stabbing.
“I know from my experience of living in Washington, D.C., and having lots of friends in Atlanta that the moment where the transit system starts to become something where it’s not considered to be safe is the moment in which you begin to lose riders, to lose momentum,” Peacock said, as per The Charlotte Observer.