Ukrainian refugee who fled brutal war for new life stabbed to death

A 23-year-old woman who had recently fled her home in Ukraine seeking safety in the United States was stabbed to death at a train station in North Carolina.

Iryna Zarutska was stabbed multiple times and died at the scene just before 10 p.m. on Friday at the East/West Boulevard light rail station in South End, Charlotte, according to a news release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). The suspected assailant was identified as Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, a person who had been arrested and convicted in the county several times in the past. He was charged with first-degree murder after the Friday incident, police said.

"[Iryna] had recently arrived in the United States, seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning," according to a GoFundMe set up to support her family. "Tragically, her life was cut short far too soon."

Brown was taken to Atrium Health Medical Centre with non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the attack, police said. Upon his release, he will be arrested, they said. The Daily Express US has contacted the CMPD for additional information.

According to WCNC, Brown's criminal record includes 14 court cases in Mecklenburg County. He reportedly served six years at a prison in North Carolina for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering and larceny.

He was reportedly released in 2020, but was arrested again two years later when he assaulted a woman in Mecklenburg. He was also arrested in Jan. 2025 after misusing the 911 system, allegedly reporting police officers for responding inadequately to a medical issue.

Officers with the CMPD responded to a call on Friday of an assault with a deadly weapon on the 1800 block of Camden Road, located southwest of central Charlotte, according to police. They discovered Zarutska with knife wounds when they arrived, and she was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

Homicide Unit detectives, Crime Scene Search responders and representatives from CMPD's Operations Command, Victim Services and MEDIC were on scene.

The CMPD is pursuing an active investigation into the Friday stabbing, according to its news update. The department requested that anyone with information about the incident come forward and speak with a Homicide Unit detective directly.

"This is an irreparable loss for her family," the GoFundMe for Zarutska's family said. "We have created this fundraiser to support [Iryna's aunt] and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses."

"Any support you can give - whether through a donation or simply by sharing this page - will mean so much to the family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and compassion."

As of Tuesday evening, the fundraiser had raised more than $23,000 of its $30,000 goal.