Inset left: Left to right: Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office). Inset right: Iryna Zarutska (Obituary). Background: The light rail station where Zarutska was fatally stabbed in Charlotte, N.C. (Google Maps).
A fundraiser set up for a North Carolina man accused of murdering a Ukrainian immigrant on a light rail train last month was shut down by GoFundMe.
Social media users shared screenshots showing multiple GoFundMe pages set up to benefit Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., 34, as reported by El Paso’s Fox affiliate, KFOX. Brown faces charges of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee residing in North Carolina.
On the evening of August 22, while on a light rail train, Brown was seated behind Zarutska. As previously noted by Law&Crime, they had no interaction until Brown purportedly stood and began stabbing Zarutska multiple times. The train’s surveillance cameras captured the alleged event.
GoFundMe has since removed all the pages, which were intended to gather funds for Brown’s legal expenses. Screenshots recorded from these pages allegedly mentioned, “While the tragedy on the Blue Line can’t be denied, we must remember that Decarlos Brown Jr. was systematically failed by both the judicial system and mental health services in North Carolina, and thus, can’t be held entirely responsible for the incident.”
Another page reportedly stated, “We’re collecting funds for Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr.’s legal fees. Any contribution helps in challenging the racism and prejudice against our community. We appreciate your support in opposing this unjust narrative.”
Court records indicate Brown is homeless and has a long criminal record dating back to 2013. He was imprisoned for five years in 2015 for offenses including robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and theft. In 2022, two years post-release, he was arrested again, accused of assaulting a woman and causing property damage.
In a statement to Law&Crime, a spokesperson from GoFundMe said, “GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime. Consistent with this long-standing policy, all fundraisers for Decarlos Brown Jr.’s legal defense have been removed from the platform, and any donors who contributed have been fully refunded.”
As Law&Crime previously reported, the alleged incident between Brown and Zarutska was caught on the train’s surveillance video. At around 10 p.m. on the night of Aug. 22, Zarutska boarded the train and took a seat directly in front of Brown. The two did not speak or interact with each other. After about four minutes, Brown can be seen standing up behind Zarutska before he allegedly produced a knife and stabbed her several times before walking away.
Zarutska, an artist who had recently escaped the war in Ukraine for safety in the United States, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police apprehended Brown, who was standing on the train’s platform.
According to court records for Brown, the suspect has been ordered to undergo a competency evaluation while in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 19.
