Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death in North Carolina, suspect charged with murder
Editor's note: The article was updated with comments by U.S. President Donald Trump.
A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 22, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The incident occurred at 9:55 p.m. while the victim, Iryna Zarutska, was on a train at the South End light rail station.
Zarutska had fled Kyiv in 2022 seeking safety from Russia’s full-scale invasion, and was described by family members as hoping for a new beginning.
“This is an irreparable loss for her family,” a GoFundMe campaign started by Zarutska’s aunt states.
Police arrested 34-year-old Decarlos Brown at the scene and charged him with first-degree murder.
Brown’s criminal record showed a long history of arrests dating back to 2011, with 14 prior court cases and a six-year North Carolina prison sentence for convictions including robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Court records show Brown displayed signs of mental illness earlier this year, and his public defender has filed a motion questioning his competency to stand trial.
U.S. President Donald Trump called the attack "horrible" when asked about the case by reporters on Sept. 7, adding he would "know all about it tomorrow morning."
In a subsequent statement the following day, Trump called Zarutska a "beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious war in Ukraine" before she was attacked by a "mentally deranged lunatic."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump used the attack to denounce the "mainstream media" and his political opponents in the Democratic Party and said only the Republicans can deliver "law and order" in North Carolina and "every state."
This incident comes just weeks after a 16-year-old Ukrainian refugee was fatally pushed in front of a freight train in Friedland, Germany, on Aug. 11.
