23-year-old Irina Zarutskaya was allegedly killed by a homeless career criminal on a North Carolina train
A video released by the authorities in North Carolina shows the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte train, with the attacker – identified as a homeless man with a long criminal record and mental health issues – stabbing her from behind without warning.
Surveillance footage, which was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System on Saturday and went viral on social media, shows the moments leading to the death of Irina Zarutskaya, 23, on August 22.
In the video, Zarutskaya, who had fled the fighting in Ukraine, is seen boarding the train and taking a seat. After several seconds, a man sitting directly behind her suddenly stands, draws a knife, and stabs her in the neck. No words are exchanged, and she appears not to respond before the assault begins.
The suspect, identified by police as Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is then seen walking through the carriage past other passengers – who were at the moment apparently unaware of the attack – with a knife in his hand and blood dripping on the floor as he exits the train.
Police said Zarutskaya collapsed in her seat and died at the scene. Brown was arrested shortly afterward and has been charged with first-degree murder. According to public records, the suspect was homeless and had been arrested multiple times since 2011. His past convictions include armed robbery, breaking and entering, felony larceny, motor vehicle theft, and misuse of the 911 system. He also served a prison sentence in a North Carolina jail and was released in September 2020.
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Brown had reported experiencing mental health problems, including claims that a “man-made material” controlled his body. In July 2025, a judge ordered a forensic psychiatric evaluation, but it was never carried out.
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