Overview

• Police identified the victim as Iryna “Ira” Zarutska, 23, found dead around 9:55 p.m. Friday at the East/West Boulevard station area in Charlotte.
• Authorities have not said whether the killing occurred on a train, on the platform, or nearby, and the investigation remains active.
• Officers arrested 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. shortly after the incident; he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is charged with first-degree murder.
• Court and media records indicate Brown has arrests dating to 2011, a January 2025 misuse-of-911 case involving delusional claims, and a July motion that led to a court-ordered forensic evaluation while he remained out of custody.
• A GoFundMe created by Zarutska’s aunt says she had recently arrived in the U.S. seeking safety from the war in Ukraine and is raising funds for the family.