NC - Iryna Zarutska, 23, slain on Commuter Rail Line, Charlotte - Some Content may be Graphic - Aug 22, 2025 *Arrest*

[Jsizzle]

CNN online has today a September 8, 2025 article by Holly Yan and Mia Blackman entitled “Video shows fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte light rail – stirring debate on crime in major US cities”:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/08/us/iryna-zarutska-murder-ukraine-refugee

Such a senseless slaying IMO.

Note some content, images, and the video are reported as quite graphic. MOO

I watched the video unknowingly. I was at the mall with my daughter while she was trying on HOCO dresses and I was shocked and immediately felt a sense of dread and pain. The way she reacted is just so incredibly horrifying. She must have been so scared. Brings me to complete tears.

RIP Sweet girl

 

[Eli9]

WASHINGTON — The FBI and Department of Transportation are both probing the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina train last month, the agencies said Monday.
(…)
Suspected killer Decarlos Brown Jr. — who had been arrested and released at least 14 times previously by the authorities — was caught on a security camera repeatedly thrusting his knife into Zarutska shortly after she boarded a light-rail train home from her job at a Charlotte pizzeria Aug. 22, authorities said.
(…)
“The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.”

FBI, DOT launch probes into killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on NC train: ‘Stay tuned’

“If mayors can’t keep their trains and buses safe, they don’t deserve the taxpayers’ money,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tweeted.

nypost.com

I'd like to know more about how recidivism is taken into account generally in Charlotte. Maybe nothing but I'm just interested.
And yes, why was he on the train? I wonder how this person was living and paying for things. Did he work?

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

I am disturbed by that video on so many levels.

The killer used a pocket knife while passengers watch and then get up and walk away.

After the incident she appears to be looking for comfort and glances at the woman sitting across from her. Everyone starts to get up and walk away from her even as the killer has left the immediate area.

I’m glad I don’t live in a city such as this with so many apathetic people. imo

 

[PrairieWind]

I wonder if the failure of others to help her is in some way a result of the Daniel Penny prosecution.

 

[Dotta]

I cannot blame the passengers.

As was reported above
one passenger used first aid,
another put his shirt to victim's wounds to stop the bleeding,
yet another one informed a train officer/operator who reported this to Police.
The train was stopped,
the perp was arrested when he left it.

Everything that was needed was done.

What else could these shocked people do???

Fight the madman
(who was swinging the knife)
with bare hands??
There might have been other casualties.

And IMO
people react differently while being in shock.

JMO

ETA
I found the link:

Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska’s look of horror after she was fatally stabbed on train — as her final moments are revealed

The new extended clip of the horrific killing the 23-year-old cowering in fear and covering her face.

nypost.com

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

I wonder if the failure of others to help her is in some way a result of the Daniel Penny prosecution.

I think it’s so disturbing to me because in Louisiana we have a ‘No duty to retreat’ even in public spaces. Men would have been all over this guy and offering comfort and care to the woman. imo

Laws are probably different there. IDK

 

[Sundog]

I wonder if the failure of others to help her is in some way a result of the Daniel Penny prosecution.

It's too bad there wasn't someone like Daniel Penny nearby to take this guy down before the stabbing started and continued.

 

[Derph]

I think the point is that while your local station carried this on Saturday, this attack occurred on Aug 22. That was still 2 weeks after the event.

Oh I'm well aware of the point. It's reprehensible that mainstream media failed to report this sooner. But there was an effort by Charlotte officials to prevent the video from getting out in the 1st place. Shame on Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who tried to hide the unspeakable murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska . So I can at least understand how this story didn't break at the time. There was also an effort to sanitize the video. The outrage has forced their hand and today you're seeing the image of her cowering in terror after the attack. This is now going to be used as a political tool as the snowball gets bigger and bigger. The media is getting scorched as well they should.

Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes who let this guy go is also the Director of Operations at Second Chance Services, a mental health and addiction clinic in Charlotte, NC. Some are claiming that she was funneling the people she released back into the public thru that clinic instead of putting them in jail where they belong, however there is no proof of that as of this moment. Curiously all mentions of Stokes' involvement with Second Chance Services have been wiped and their website is offline as of the last time I checked. Judge who released Charlotte light rail killer has history of addiction activism - Denver Gazette

The elephant in the room is that this was a racially motivated attack IMO. He stated as he got off the tram that " I got that White girl" 2 times!!! Iryna Zarutska stabbing video reveals aftermath of attack

There has been little to no mention of that in the news. The Wikipedia page has also been cleaned and sanitized several times since Saturday. The source for this is me as I've been monitoring it since becoming aware of it. ( Not that Wiki should be held as some end all, be all of legitimate sources but many people use it a lot for information) Also check out how different AI programs are responding to inquiries. There's some interesting wording and reporting being done by them. It's of my own opinion that the media is not reporting this aspect of the murder as they are terrified of any backlash they may receive from the public. It's also of my own opinion that if the situation had been different and the racial roles had been reversed, the reporting of this story would have been bigger and on a more national level. For me, I'm comparing it to the way the Jordan Neely killing was reported. I am not alone in this thinking and I think that is fueling a lot of the anger and rage towards the media in this case. This story is only beginning.

 

[shotgun09]

But there was an effort by Charlotte officials to prevent the video from getting out in the 1st place. Shame on Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who tried to hide the unspeakable murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska .

RSBM.

It is my understanding that Mayor Lyles is up for re-election, TOMORROW. Suspicious cat in me asks is this the reason for her " Pay no attention to the video" ( Man behind the curtain )? And did she have some 'persuasion' with the media in NOT reporting this case initially at all?

Dirty deeds indeed....

MOO

 

[Charlot123]

If the perpetrator has the diagnosis but is not on medications, whose fault it is?

If on top of it he was high on drugs, which could be the case, it is an aggravating circumstance, IMO.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Oh I'm well aware of the point. It's reprehensible that mainstream media failed to report this sooner. But there was an effort by Charlotte officials to prevent the video from getting out in the 1st place. Shame on Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who tried to hide the unspeakable murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska . So I can at least understand how this story didn't break at the time. There was also an effort to sanitize the video. The outrage has forced their hand and today you're seeing the image of her cowering in terror after the attack. This is now going to be used as a political tool as the snowball gets bigger and bigger. The media is getting scorched as well they should.

Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes who let this guy go is also the Director of Operations at Second Chance Services, a mental health and addiction clinic in Charlotte, NC. Some are claiming that she was funneling the people she released back into the public thru that clinic instead of putting them in jail where they belong, however there is no proof of that as of this moment. Curiously all mentions of Stokes' involvement with Second Chance Services have been wiped and their website is offline as of the last time I checked. Judge who released Charlotte light rail killer has history of addiction activism - Denver Gazette

The elephant in the room is that this was a racially motivated attack IMO. He stated as he got off the tram that " I got that White girl" 2 times!!! Iryna Zarutska stabbing video reveals aftermath of attack

There has been little to no mention of that in the news. The Wikipedia page has also been cleaned and sanitized several times since Saturday. The source for this is me as I've been monitoring it since becoming aware of it. ( Not that Wiki should be held as some end all, be all of legitimate sources but many people use it a lot for information) Also check out how different AI programs are responding to inquiries. There's some interesting wording and reporting being done by them. It's of my own opinion that the media is not reporting this aspect of the murder as they are terrified of any backlash they may receive from the public. It's also of my own opinion that if the situation had been different and the racial roles had been reversed, the reporting of this story would have been bigger and on a more national level. For me, I'm comparing it to the way the Jordan Neely killing was reported. I am not alone in this thinking and I think that is fueling a lot of the anger and rage towards the media in this case. This story is only beginning.

Agreed with every single word. Well said, thank you.

 

[mickey2942]

Feds charge man in fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte train

The Justice Department charged the man accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a public train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

www.usatoday.com

Federal charges? Because it was a crime on mass transportation? Terrorism? Interesting.

Suspect in Charlotte train stabbing facing federal charges, possible death penalty: DOJ

The suspect fatally stabbed a Ukrainian immigrant on Charlotte's light rail system late last month.

abcnews.go.com

 

[PrairieWind]

Feds charge man in fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte train

The Justice Department charged the man accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a public train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

www.usatoday.com

Federal charges? Because it was a crime on mass transportation? Terrorism? Interesting.

Suspect in Charlotte train stabbing facing federal charges, possible death penalty: DOJ

The suspect fatally stabbed a Ukrainian immigrant on Charlotte's light rail system late last month.

abcnews.go.com

I hate the fact that we have to see federal charges in cases like this. Assault, murder, these are state crimes. What we are seeing however is these cases just not being prosecuted and adjudicated properly. This creates the need for federal intervention which is NOT a good idea.

 

[peecee7896]

https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/nc-council-member-urges-mental-health-resources/

Following the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train, City Council member Victoria Watlington called for increased mental health resources and additional funding for prosecutors. The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., who has a history of mental illness and prior criminal convictions, was arrested and charged with murder.

 

[mickey2942]

I hate the fact that we have to see federal charges in cases like this. Assault, murder, these are state crimes. What we are seeing however is these cases just not being prosecuted and adjudicated properly. This creates the need for federal intervention which is NOT a good idea.

I agree. This is a "States Rights" issue, local government, with local elected officials. It is a slippery slope to federalize crimes.

It brings up the issue of "Picking and choosing" which crimes the federal government wants to charge. It is a political power play.

We can all agree that prison and jail has really become a "pseudo" mental health facility, since the deinstitutionalization of inpatient mental health hospitals.

 

[Barbb]

The feds own the mass transit system where the crime occurred. A criminal complaint filed in federal court charges DeCarlos Brown, with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system — a crime that falls under federal jurisdiction. Brown has already been charged with first-degree murder, a state charge

 

[tara83]

https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/nc-council-member-urges-mental-health-resources/

Sadly mental health resources are being cut in 2026 in this country.

 

[Barbb]

The man who is accused of fatally stabbed a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte, North Carolina, train can be heard saying "I got that white girl". Sounds like racism to me.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I wonder if he is suffering from schizophrenia (obviously not treated IMO) as was reported,
whether somebody sitting close to him
(a seat right in front of him)
triggered some psychotic/delusional/paranoid attack.
(He was seen observing the victim before stabbing)
Other passengers were some distance from the perp.

I'm just trying to understand what caused the attack.

If he was aggressive at home
(mother forced him to leave)
I don't understand why the perp wasn't forcefully put into a mental hospital for treatment

An insane man was on the loose.
Anybody could be attacked.
He could be hearing voices, etc., telling him to kill.
He could also treat others as threats in this sick mind.

All this is horrific

RIP Iryna
Sincerest Condolences to Family.

JMO

A judge magistrate released him on a promise note.
BTW that judge doesn’t even have a law degree.

 

[Sundog]

The feds own the mass transit system where the crime occurred. A criminal complaint filed in federal court charges DeCarlos Brown, with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system — a crime that falls under federal jurisdiction. Brown has already been charged with first-degree murder, a state charge

The Secretary of Transportation is also looking into the city's safety measures on the trains to see if the passengers were receiving adequate law enforcement/safety protection. If not, it's possible that federal funding could be withdrawn from cities that do not provide adequate protection to their citizens on the public mass transit systems.

ebm