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A man accused of murdering a Ukrainian woman who relocated to the United States to escape the conflict in her homeland has a significant criminal record, which includes a prior attack on his sister, as per police records.
Decarlos Brown, 35, allegedly stabbed Iryna Zarutska, 23, to death at South End light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina, Friday night.
He was arrested soon after and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Brown was then charged with first-degree murder on his release.
Zarutska had only recently arrived in the US ‘seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning’, her family said on a GoFundMe page.
Brown, meanwhile, is a career criminal who has spent most of his life in and out of prison, a Daily Mail review of police records found.
In January, he faced charges of misusing the 911 system after he claimed that someone had given him a ‘man-made’ substance that controlled his behavior.
He was released on no bail and was pending trial when he allegedly stabbed Zaruska to death Friday.
Brown served five years in prison for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September, 2020 – when he quickly resumed a life of crime.
Iryna Zarutska, aged 23, was discovered deceased on Friday at the South End light rail station in North Carolina. She had recently left Ukraine to escape the ongoing war.
Decarlos Brown has spent a considerable part of his life moving in and out of prison. He served five years for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September 2020, only to quickly return to a criminal lifestyle.
Mere months post-release, in February 2021, Brown was apprehended for attacking his sister in Charlotte, leaving her with minor injuries, as described in police records made available to the Daily Mail.
That same month, he was also arrested for injury to personal property and trespassing.
The police report from that episode noted that Brown ‘returned to the residence after being prohibited from returning and proceeded to kick and damage the front door of the addressed victim’s home.’
In July 2022, Brown was then arrested again 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 the call for service was located,’ read the police report.
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.
Decarlos Brown, 35, was charged with Friday’s stabbing murder. He has a lengthy criminal rap sheet
Zarutska’s decision to flee Ukraine came after Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022
The victim had only recently moved to the US from Ukraine in an effort to escape the ongoing war with Russia
Brown’s latest alleged crime is his most serious.
The career criminal was arrested at the scene of Zarutska’s stabbing Friday night, according to officials.
Police have not said what led to the stabbing.
Local councilman Edwin Peacock demanded answers from authorities, noting the community no longer feels safe to ride public transport.
‘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.’
Iryna Zarutska, 23, was found dead at 9.55pm on Friday at South End light rail station (pictured) in North Carolina
Zarutska’s family said her death was ‘an irreparable loss for her family’ on a GoFundMe page set up to support her aunt.
Zarutska had been ‘hoping for a new beginning’ when she moved to North Carolina, the family said.
‘We have created this fundraiser to support Valeria and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses.’
Zarutska’s decision to flee Ukraine came after Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he had set in motion arrangements for direct peace talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But Russian officials have signaled that such a summit won’t happen any time soon as it continues to bombard Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 104 strike and decoy drones on Sunday night, targeting the country’s north and east.
