Authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, have identified and arrested a man named Decarlos Brown Jr for the murder of a Ukrainian refugee, find out more about him below
Decarlos killed the victim, identified as 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, in broad daylight who died of multiple stab wounds at the East/West Boulevard light rail station.
Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who fled the war in Ukraine was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack on the Lynx Blue Line light in a Charlotte rail last month. Video of the incident shows suspect Decarlos Brown, 25, pulling a knife and stabbing her multiple times before walking away and he has now been charged with first-degree murder and denied bond.
Who is Decarlos Brown Jr as video of him stabbing Ukranian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death goes viral
Why is the disgusting, senseless, unprovoked murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by a man named Decarlos Brown Jr. on a train in Charlotte NC not getting more media attention?! pic.twitter.com/9UDPxguWhN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 7, 2025
Decarlos Brown Jr. was released on CASHLESS BAIL a few months ago with a promise to appear at his next court date
They literally just let him go free despite 14 arrests and a schizophrenia diagnosis
They let him m*rder Iryna Zarutska
Should Decarlos receive the death penalty? pic.twitter.com/ddxWqbN8Cj
— Sumit (@SumitHansd) September 9, 2025
Zarutska’s death has sparked massive outrage and grief both at the local level and abroad.
Decarlos Brown Jr arrested for killing Ukrainian refugee
Authorities have quickly identified and arrested a man named Decarlos Brown Jr. for killing a Ukrainian refugee named Zarutska. According to official police reports, they found him with non-life-threatening injuries before taking him to Atrium Health hospital and booking him into custody. Brown is now facing a first-degree murder charge while being held as the investigation continues. Officials have still yet to confirm a motive for the stabbing, with most reports suggesting that it took place unprovoked.
This is unbelievable. Skip to :35 seconds – the animal who murdered Iryna Zarutska clearly says "I got that white girl, I got that white girl."
It was as a purely racial attack. pic.twitter.com/cqO9NFrjGb
— captive dreamer (@avaricum777) September 8, 2025
Charges and allegations
Following his arrest, Decarlos Brown Jr. now faces a list of criminal charges, including the murder of Zarutska. As he awaits court proceedings, police have stated that they could add further charges depending on the evidence gathered from the crime scene.
GoFundMe has also removed multiple fundraising campaigns set up on behalf of Decarlos Brown Jr with one fundraiser being removed after asking $3,500 for Decarlos after his arrest with $5 being raised.
Criminal history
Upon further investigation, court and police records have revealed that Decarlos Brown Jr. has been in and out of the justice system for over a decade. Brown first got convicted in 2011, and has since faced several charges, including felony, larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and making threats. He has previously even served five years in prison for armed robbery. More recently, Brown was arrested for misusing the 911 system when he repeatedly called to report bizarre delusions. Brown made multiple claims on the calls, including a claim that someone placed a “man-made substance” inside his body to control him.
There is a @gofundme for Decarlos Brown. You can’t make this up. He murdered in cold blood and yet his supporters want you to think he was “failed” by the system.
Instead, he did exactly what the system wants him to do. pic.twitter.com/oHLfYRBBrb
— Dissident Media (@DissidentMedia) September 7, 2025
Decarlos Brown Jr.’s biography and age
Decarlos Brown Jr. is a homeless man who recently went viral after getting arrested for killing a Ukrainian refugee. He is currently 34 years old and he was born and raised in North Carolina. As of now, there is only limited information about his personal life outside his criminal record. Decarlos has notably had a history of instability and criminal behavior, frequently encountering law enforcement with him convicted 14 times previously along with even assaulting his own sister. His recent arrest for murder has now propelled him into a subject of national headlines.
The calmness of everyone on the train in Charlotte after Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death is more disturbing to me than the stabbing itself. pic.twitter.com/LSvpMg7bsf
— Ashley Nicole🌺 (@antiwarmisfit) September 8, 2025
Decarlos Brown Jr has served time in prison, been briefly committed for schizophrenia and was arrested earlier in 2025 after repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital. He has 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County, including serving five years for robbery with a dangerous weapon and his mother revealed she sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment earlier this year after he became violent at home. Doctors had diagnosed him with schizophrenia.
Court records also show Brown faced charges ranging from making threats and shoplifting to felony larceny dating back to 2011.
Profession
As of now, reports about Decarlos Brown Jr. show no steady employment and he is described as living without stable housing. There are few to no signs of a consistent profession or career, and he has instead lived a life defined by several run-ins with the law.
Decarlos Brown Jr. was arrested for stabbing a Ukrainian refugee girl to death. He has a long and disturbing criminal record where he was convicted 14 times. Once he assaulted his sister after he came out of jail. Why was he spared 14 times? pic.twitter.com/EOvSgjs0UX
— Dharmic person🚩 (@thedharmic1991) September 7, 2025
