Horrific footage captured the moment a madman fatally stabbed a Ukrainian refugee from behind as she sat on a train in North Carolina.
The sickening attack unfolded on August 22, soon after Iryna Zarutska, 23, boarded a South End light rail train in Charlotte.
Cops identified the stabber as homeless man Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, who has a lengthy rap sheet, including an arrest for assaulting his sister.
He was seen in the footage watching Zarutska for some time after she sat in the seat in front of him, eventually taking out what appeared to be a blade from his pocket.
He then stood up and loomed over the 23-year-old, swinging the knife at her as she sat with her phone.
Brown was shown leaving a trail of blood throughout the train as other passengers appeared not to realize the killing that had taken place, before he rips off his shirt.
He was arrested soon after and charged with first-degree murder. His bond was subsequently denied by a judge and he remains in custody.
Zarutska’s heartbroken family said on a GoFundMe page that she had only arrived in the US in 2022 ‘seeking safety from the war’ in her home country, and ‘hoping for a new beginning’ before the slaying.
Horrific footage captured the moment Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, was stabbed to death from behind as she sat on a train in North Carolina
Zarutska’s heartbroken family said that she had only recently arrived in the US ‘seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning’ before the random slaying
Brown was revealed to be a career criminal who has spent most of his life in and out of prison.
A Daily Mail review of police records found that he was charged with misusing 911 as recently as January, when he told cops he believed someone had given him a ‘man-made’ material that controlled his actions.
He was released without bail and a trial pending when he allegedly stabbed Zaruska to death.
Brown served five years in prison for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September 2020.
In February 2021, Brown was arrested for assaulting his sister in Charlotte and leaving her with minor injuries, according to police records obtained by the Daily Mail.
That same month, he was again arrested for injury to personal property and trespassing.
A police report from that incident said Brown ‘returned to the address after being told he was not allowed back and kicked and damaged the front door of the listed victim’s residence.’
In July 2022, Brown was arrested for a domestic disturbance.
Suspect Decarlos Brown, 35, has spent most of his life in and out of prison. Brown served five years for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September 2020 – when he quickly resumed a life of crime
The sickening stabbing unfolded on August 22 soon after Iryna Zarutska, 23, boarded a South End light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina
Brown was seen in the footage watching Zarutska for some time after she sat in the seat in front of him
Brown was seen in the footage leaving a trail of blood throughout the train as other passengers appeared not to realize the killing had taken place
‘[Brown] was arrested for disorderly conduct. The suspect was yelling and cursing, causing a disturbance and drawing the attention of multiple tenants while on the property,’ a police report read.
Brown’s arrest records go as back as 2007, when he was still a minor.
Over the next seven years, he was arrested at least six times for crimes including felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats.
According to the Charlotte Observer, most of the charges he faced during that time were dropped.
When reached for comment, the Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office told the Daily Mail Tuesday it cannot speak about defendants with pending cases.
‘In broad terms, it remains the position of the District Attorney’s office that those who commit violent crimes should be held in custody pending trial,’ the DA’s said.
Brown’s latest alleged crime is his most serious.
Local Councilman Edwin Peacock demanded answers from authorities, noting the community no longer feels safe to ride public transportation.
In February 2021, Brown was arrested for assaulting his sister in Charlotte and leaving her with minor injuries
Zarutska’s family called her death ‘an irreparable loss’
‘Right now, the trust and confidence that we have right now, and particularly between South End and Uptown, it’s very fragile right now,’ he said.
‘The story is heart-wrenching, and if, obviously what we’re hearing is true, clearly we need to give that family answers.
‘And we, more importantly, need to give all the citizens who are riding the light rail a lot of confidence that you’re going to be safe.’
Zarutska’s family called her death ‘an irreparable loss’ on the GoFundMe page.
She had been ‘hoping for a new beginning’ when she moved to North Carolina, the family said.
‘We have created this fundraiser to support Valeria and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses.’
