A homeless man has been charged with the brutal murder of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday.
The victim, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, was fatally stabbed on the Lynx Blue Line Light Rail System at the East/West Boulevard Station, as reported on Monday.
Zarutska had fled Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict with Russia and had recently moved to Charlotte to be with her loved ones, as stated in a GoFundMe created after her death.
Details about the incident include an image of the young woman and the suspect.
According to an update from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police, 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr. has been identified as the suspect. At the time of the stabbing, he was taken to Atrium Health with non-life-threatening injuries.
Brown was arrested after his release and faces charges of first-degree murder. Another individual was also taken to Atrium Health due to an unrelated health issue.
Brown reportedly has a criminal background, including past arrests for theft, threatening communication, and armed robbery, which resulted in a five-year prison sentence.
Records indicate that police had previously arrested Brown for misusing 911 services.
A friend of the victim expressed in a phone interview that Zarutska was the type of person who brought joy to others and deserved a better fate.
The police stated that the investigation is ongoing, and they encourage anyone with information about the case to contact the CMPD’s homicide detectives.
