Irina Zaltoska, a Ukrainian refugee, was already unconscious and had lost significant blood by the time bystanders called for help after she was fatally stabbed on a train in North Carolina. A dramatic 911 call reveals the urgency of the situation.
The caller, visibly distressed, reported, “The man just stabbed this woman for no reason,” after witnessing the attack by a man, later identified as DeCarlos Brown, a career criminal with a history of mental illness.
“Hurry, she’s bleeding. She’s bleeding a lot,” the caller implored while struggling to respond to the dispatcher amidst the chaos of Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line on August 22.
Witnesses recounted that Brown had behaved erratically before the incident, having previously exited the train.
Another caller mentioned that Zaltoska, who had arrived in the U.S. in 2022 to escape the war in Ukraine, was non-responsive as those nearby tried to apply pressure to her wounds.
“This woman has just been stabbed. There’s a woman on the ground with lots of blood… we didn’t see it,” a calm female bystander told the emergency operator, clarifying that she hadn’t witnessed the attack itself.
“People are going crazy. There’s a lot of blood. I think she’s gone,” she added, reflecting the chaotic atmosphere.
Descriptions of the attacker varied; some mentioned his outfit—a red hoodie and blue jeans—while others, filled with emotion, suggested that Zaltoska likely didn’t survive.
One man on another call expressed concern, saying, “I think the girl might be dead… the guy who did it stands on the lamp.”
Surveillance footage captured the horrifying moment as Zaltoska held her face, looking up at her assailant after being stabbed three times, including in the neck.
Blood stained her pants, and the footage showed the attacker moving down the train car, knife in hand, leaving a trail of blood behind him, ultimately leading to Zaltoska’s death on the light rail.
Brown was out on bail for 13 prior offenses when he was arrested shortly after the incident. He now faces serious charges, potentially qualifying for the death penalty, as stated by the Justice Department.
