Iryna Zarutska, 23, fatally stabbed in Charlottle, North Carolina

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Ukrainian Refugee Fatally Stabbed on Charlotte Light Rail

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed on a Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte’s South End on Aug. 22, 2025. The incident, which occurred around 10 p.m. near the East/West Boulevard station on Camden Road, has left the community mourning the loss of a young woman who fled war-torn Ukraine in 2022 seeking safety and a new beginning in the United States.

Zarutska, a student at Rowan Cabarrus Community College, was pronounced dead at the scene from knife wounds. Authorities identified Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, as the suspect. Brown, described as homeless with a history of prior arrests, including misuse of the 911 system and robbery with a deadly weapon, was injured during the incident and remains hospitalized. He faces a first-degree murder charge upon his release. Police clarified that an initial report of three stabbing victims was incorrect; a third person suffered an unrelated medical emergency.

The stabbing took place on a train, prompting the Charlotte Area Transit System to implement a bus bridge between New Bern Station and I-485 to accommodate passengers while the crime scene was investigated. Friends and family described Zarutska as kind-hearted and ambitious, with a GoFundMe campaign launched by her aunt Valeria to cover funeral costs and repatriate her body to Ukraine. The fundraiser called her death an “irreparable loss” for her family.

The incident has heightened safety concerns among Charlotte residents, with some expressing hesitation to use public transit. Local leaders, including Councilman Ed Peacock, have called for increased security measures to restore public confidence in the city’s transit system. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department continues to investigate and urges witnesses to contact its homicide unit at 704-432-8477 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. 

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