CHARLOTTE — DeCarlos Brown’s name became known nationwide as the accused light rail stabber in Iryna Zarutska’s death, but some say he’s also an example of a failed system.
That includes Brown’s mother.
“You have two families that are broken,” said Michelle DeWitt.
On Aug. 22 of 2025, police were called to the light rail station in Charlotte’s South End after Zarutska had been stabbed. Brown was arrested nearby; his family had no idea until they turned on the news.
“That’s a mistake, that’s a mistake; they have the wrong person. So me and my husband we prayed and asked God what to do because it was overwhelming,” DeWitt told Channel 9’s Glenn Counts, recalling what went through her head when she found out about the stabbing.
DeWitt was stunned, dealing with her new reality. The toughest part for her was seeing her son behind bars for the first time after the arrest.
“Overwhelming, heartbreaking, mad, sad, my emotions were everywhere,” DeWitt said. “I’m thinking about the family’s pain and their hurt; I have no idea, and then I’m looking at him saying this is not you.”
The state system and federal courts have ruled at this point that Brown is mentally incompetent and cannot participate in his defense.
“He didn’t know what happened; it was a lot that day, that day was a lot,” DeWitt said.
DeWitt says that her son began showing signs of mental illness about four to five years ago. The signs were subtle at first, and grew progressively worse.
“As family, we became concerned; we were not sure what was going on,” DeWitt said.
Eventually after Brown began to refuse his medication, his parents kicked him out of the house, and he lived at the shelter.
“It was difficult, I really didn’t want to face that,” DeWitt said.
Brown has a criminal record including robbery, weapons and burglary charges from 13 years ago. His mother says he wasn’t showing signs of mental illness at that point.
Last January, Brown was arrested for misusing the 911 system. He told officers he was being controlled by some kind of material in his body, and he wanted them to remove it. It’s the same thing he told investigators after Zarutska’s killing.
“We have to treat mental illness in the same manner that we would treat someone that has cancer, we need to have that much emphasis on mental illness,” DeWitt said.
She says she thinks about the Zarutska family and their loss every day.
“There are two families that are hurting and torn. As far as Iryna, we are praying for that family. I don’t know what it’s like to not have a child, but we’re constantly praying,” DeWitt said.
Brown is being treated in the hopes that one day he will regain competency and he can answer for his alleged crime. His mother would also like to see him get better so she can get her boy back, even if it’s in prison.
“Do you think there will come a day when he’ll be some semblance of himself again?” Channel 9 asked her.
“I pray he does, because I miss that son, I miss that son,” DeWitt said.