Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death

A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, who had just fled the horrors of war in search of a safer and more promising life in the United States, was stabbed to death in a North Carolina train station last week.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Iryna Zarutska was found dead at the East/West Boulevard light rail station in South End, Charlotte, at around 10:30 pm. Zarutska suffered multiple injuries and was declared dead at the scene, The New York Post reported.

The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr, 34, a homeless man with a long criminal past, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Brown will be officially detained upon his discharge from Atrium Health after being transported there with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to court records, Brown has had run-ins with the law since at least 2011, including convictions for conveying threats, robbery with a deadly weapon, and felony larceny. While other previous charges were dropped, he was sentenced to about five years in jail for the robbery charge.

But he continues to face charges for abusing the 911 system in January.

During a police welfare check in January 2025, Brown stated that a "man-made material" had been implanted in his body to control his movements, speech, and eating habits. He reportedly urged that officers look into the "man-made" substance that was within his body.

The motive behind the Zarutska attack and whether it took place on the train or platform has not yet been revealed.

Photo Credit: GoFundMe

Detective Buhr is in charge of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Homicide Unit, which is still investigating the case and encourages anyone with information to come forward, the police statement said.

Following the tragedy, a GoFundMe effort was launched to help Zarutska's aunt, Valeria, and other family members.

According to the organisers, Zarutska "had recently arrived in the United States, seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning," and her death is "an irreparable loss" for her family.