Who Is Decarlos Brown Jr, Man Accused of Killing Ukrainian Refugee On Train

A 34-year-old man with a long criminal record has been arrested on charges of murdering a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee. Decarlos Brown Jr stabbed Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22.

Zaruska, who fled the war in Ukraine to live in the US, was stabbed several times, including once in the neck, and died on the spot, according to the CCTV footage.

As the outrage and calls for the death penalty for Brown grew, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also joined in, saying that cases with clear guilt should be carried out without delay. "Death penalty cases where there is unequivocal guilt should move forward immediately," he wrote.

Death penalty cases where there is unequivocal guilt should move forward immediately

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 6, 2025

Who is Decarlos Brown Jr?

Decarlos Brown Jr is a homeless man with a long criminal history dating back to 2011. He has been arrested at least 14 times on charges, including felony larceny, armed robbery, breaking, assault, and making threats, The NY Post reported.

He served a five-year sentence for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September 2020, but within five months, he was arrested again for assaulting his sister at her Charlotte home.

Earlier this year in January, Brown got into trouble again after making false emergency calls to 911, claiming that a "man-made material" was controlling his body and basic functions such as eating, walking and speaking. An affidavit further stated that "Officers advised Brown that the issue was a medical issue and that there was nothing further they could do."

Despite his long criminal history, Brown was not serving a sentence in prison and was roaming freely on the streets when he murdered Iryna Zarutska. He has now been charged with first-degree murder.

Iryna Zarutska Murder

On August 22, Zarutska was at a light rail station in Charlotte's South End neighbourhood when Brown sat behind her. After about four minutes, Brown took out a pocketknife from his hoodie and suddenly stabbed Zarutska three times in the neck.

Around 30 seconds later, Zarutska collapsed. Brown calmly left the train at the next stop; however, he was immediately arrested and charged with first-degree murder. She was pronounced dead on the train.