CHARLOTTE — The Ukrainian community in Charlotte is grieving the death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who police said was randomly stabbed to death Friday night in a light rail car at the Blue Line stop near West Boulevard and Camden Road. Zarutska came to Charlotte seeking safety after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown, remains hospitalized, and authorities said he has a history of mental health issues.
Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz checked in with the people who make it their mission to celebrate Ukrainian culture in Charlotte.
[ PAST COVERAGE: No security on board light rail when 23-year-old was fatally stabbed ]
The Ukrainian community in Charlotte is close knit and for the past few days, they’ve collectively been grieving the loss.
Tatyana Thulien, like many, is heartbroken.
Thulien told Sáenz on Wednesday that many immigrants, including herself and Zarutska, once envisioned their lives in the land of the free.
“A country that we know from movies from films, from TV series and we see those policemen that come and take care of criminal situations, and the law punishes. The law is working,” she said.
However, Thulien said the U.S. and its systems failed Zarutska.
“(A) young lady came here to start a new life in a peaceful country that is not threatened by drones every day but she dies of a knife on a public system,” Thulien said.
Thulien believes city leaders must do more to protect the community.
MORE PAST COVERAGE:
- Local leaders demand action following deadly stabbing on light rail
- Woman flees war-torn Ukraine, killed on Charlotte light rail
- Suspect, victim identified in South End stabbing
Sáenz visited five Blue Line stops Wednesday and didn’t see security at any of them.
However, Sáenz was told they’re scattered around at optimal times.
Thulien said the Ukrainian community is shattered and won’t stop demanding action.
“The community is disappointed, angry and would like to see the positive changes,” she said.
Sáenz contacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for an interview Wednesday but was denied because the department didn’t have anyone available.
The city of Charlotte said Professional Security Services entered into a contract with CATS in December 2024.
The firm was founded by former CMPD officers and is embedded across the CATS system.
The city said PSS is in charge of security and fare enforcement at the transit center and on the light rail.
Zarutska’s family has asked for privacy.
This browser does not support the video element.
Mother says system failed son before deadly stabbing
Brown will be charged with first-degree murder when he is released from the hospital, police said.
The suspect’s mother, who didn’t want to be identified, said he has had mental issues for years.
She believes what happened Friday night was a failure in the system and the killing could have been prevented.
“My heart goes out to the victim’s family. What he did was atrocious. It was horrible. It was wrong,” she said over the phone.
Brown spent more than five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon.
His mother said when he came home from prison, things were different
“He started saying weird things,” the mother told Channel 9. “He started saying that he wasn’t in his body.”
His mother said she got Brown evaluated, but his behavior became more aggressive.
So, she got an involuntary commitment order from the courts.
He was under psychiatric monitoring for two weeks and diagnosed with schizophrenia, she said.
She said her son became so aggressive she had no other option than to kick him out.
He became homeless.
Police said Brown in January Brown called 911 from Novant Health and claimed someone gave him man-made material that controls when he ate, talked and walked, according to court records.
Police charged him with misusing the 911 system.
Magistrate Teresa Stokes allowed him to be released from jail without paying anything on a written promise to appear.
However, there were concerns about his mental capacity.
In July, his public defender made a motion questioning his ability to proceed in his court case. Judge Roy Wiggins ordered a forensic evaluation, but Brown was allowed to be out on the streets.
Brown’s mother said the court should have never let her son be out in the community, especially knowing his previous arrests and mental health issues.
She said they did everything they knew to try to get him help, but “the system failed him.”
Channel 9’s Glenn Counts spoke with Kimberly Best, a retired judge who presided over the mental health court.
“It’s broken, and we’ve known that for a long time,” said Best, referring to the mental health system.
Best noted that the mental health system can only accommodate a select few, particularly those accused of serious offenses.
She emphasized the need for societal change in addressing mental illness and the importance of funding mental health resources.
“If we don’t put the money in the front, we’re definitely going to have to put the money in the back end,” Best warned, highlighting the long-term costs of neglecting mental health care.
The tragic incident underscores the challenges faced by families seeking mental health support and the systemic issues within the mental health care system.
VIDEO: No security on board light rail when 23-year-old was fatally stabbed
This browser does not support the video element.