An internet campaign aimed at raising funds for a repeat offender accused of the brutal murder of a Ukrainian woman aboard a train in North Carolina has incited widespread anger online.

Decarlos Brown Jr., aged 35, is currently charged with first-degree murder for the stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a South End light rail train in Charlotte on August 22.

Disturbing footage from surveillance cameras captured Brown Jr. watching Zarutska for a period after she took a seat in front of him, later drawing what seemed to be a weapon from his pocket.

He then stood up and loomed over the 23-year-old, swinging the knife at her as she sat with her phone.

Brown was then seen leaving a trail of blood throughout the train as other passengers appeared not to realize the killing that had taken place.

A Daily Mail review of police records has since revealed that the 35-year-old has spent most of his life in and out of prison.

He was even out on bail and was awaiting trial for misusing 911 when he allegedly stabbed the Ukrainian refugee.

But a GoFundMe insists Brown was just the victim of a broken judicial system, as it raised money for his legal funds.

‘Although the incident on the Blue Line was tragic, it’s crucial to acknowledge that Decarlos Brown Jr. was ultimately let down by both the legal system and mental health services in North Carolina, which means he isn’t entirely responsible for the incident,’ the statement mentioned.

The online fundraiser then went on to note that it is raising money for Brown’s legal defense ‘and to also get him the aid he needs.’

It adds that the organizer hopes Brown would ‘avoid punitive sentencing.’

The fundraiser ignited outrage as it circulated online, with the LibsofTikTok account deeming it ‘psychotic’ and another individual describing it as ‘unbelievable.’

‘”Punitive sentencing?” Um yeah, I think it’s gonna be really, really punitive,’ a third added, while a fourth wrote: ‘The inconvenient truth is some people are just 200 pounds of muscle and raw killing instinct.’

It appears the fierce backlash to the fundraiser has already forced GoFundMe to remove it from its site.

A spokesperson for the site told the Daily Mail: ‘Terms of Service explicitly prohibits fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with an alleged violent crime.

‘Consistent with this longstanding policy, this fundraiser has been removed from the platform and the donors who contributed to the fundraiser have been fully refunded.’ 

Meanwhile, another online fundraiser started by Zarutska’s heartbroken family remains active.

It says that she had only arrived in the United States in 2022 ‘seeking safety from the war’ in her home country, and ‘hoping for a new beginning’ before the slaying. 

The family called her death ‘an irreparable loss’ on the GoFundMe page, which has raised over $60,000 as of Sunday evening.

‘We have created this fundraiser to support Valeria and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses,’ it says as questions remain about how Brown had been allowed to walk free.

In addition to his arrest in January for misusing 911 when he told cops he believed someone had given him a ‘man-made’ material that controlled his actions, Brown has also been apprehended for armed robbery.

He served five years for the crime, and was finally released in September 2020.

Just a few months later, in February 2021, Brown was once again arrested  for assaulting his sister in Charlotte and leaving her with minor injuries, according to police records obtained by the Daily Mail.

That same month, he was also arrested for injury to personal property and trespassing.

A police report from that incident said Brown ‘returned to the address after being told he was not allowed back and kicked and damaged the front door of the listed victim’s residence.’

In July 2022, Brown was arrested for a domestic disturbance.

‘[Brown] was arrested for disorderly conduct. The suspect was yelling and cursing, causing a disturbance and drawing the attention of multiple tenants while on the property,’ a police report read.

Brown’s arrest records go as back as 2007, when he was still a minor.

Over the next seven years, he was arrested at least six times for crimes including felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats.

According to the Charlotte Observer, most of the charges he faced during that time were dropped.

When reached for comment, the Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office told the Daily Mail Tuesday it cannot speak about defendants with pending cases.

‘In broad terms, it remains the position of the District Attorney’s office that those who commit violent crimes should be held in custody pending trial,’ the DA’s said. 

But in remarks to Axios District Attorney Spencer Merriweather noted that there are complexities with holding accountable those with mental health issues.

He said it is ‘significant that our community is focusing its attention not only on public safety, but also how mental health impacts public safety.

‘But we’re at the very beginning of a conversation, not an end of one.’

Still, local Councilman Edwin Peacock demanded answers from authorities, noting the community no longer feels safe to ride public transportation.

‘Right now, the trust and confidence that we have right now, and particularly between South End and Uptown, it’s very fragile right now,’ he said.

‘The story is heart-wrenching, and if, obviously what we’re hearing is true, clearly we need to give that family answers.

‘And we, more importantly, need to give all the citizens who are riding the light rail a lot of confidence that you’re going to be safe.’