Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, is under fire for her response to the tragic death of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed while riding a Blue Line train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In a message shared with WCNC Charlotte, Mayor Lyles expressed “thoughts and prayers” for Zarutska’s family and then shifted focus to the potential mental health concerns of the suspect, Decarlos Brown, who has a significant history of criminal activity.
“This is a heartbreaking event that highlights the shortcomings in our societal safety nets concerning mental health support and the infrastructures that should be operational,” Lyles mentioned in the statement. “Although I am not informed of the specific details of the suspect’s mental health history, it seems apparent that he has battled long-standing mental health issues, leading to a crisis. This was an unfortunate and tragic result.”
Mayor Lyles should resign. Her statements of concern for this assailant make her unfit to lead a major city.”
Lyles isn’t the only official in North Carolina to face criticism over their statements about the murder. Governor Josh Stein, also a Democrat, was rebuked by the White House following his call for increased police presence. Although the Trump administration has advocated for boosting police forces in major cities to curb violence, a White House press officer pointed out that Stein was wrongly attributing blame.
“He has been arrested 14 times. The police fulfilled their responsibilities. You did not. It’s disgraceful to attempt to pass the blame,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson wrote on X in response to Stein’s remarks.
Following criticism of her initial comments, Lyles revised her stance on Monday afternoon. In a note addressed to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community, she acknowledged that the incident exposed “a tragic failure by the judicial system and magistrates.”
“Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety. We need a bipartisan solution to address repeat offenders who do not face consequences for their actions and those who cannot get treatment for their mental illness and are allowed to be on the streets. We have partnered before on legislation like North Carolina’s pre-trial integrity act, and we stand ready to partner again at the local, state, and federal level,” Lyles said.
The mayor also announced that the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) security personnel would be re-deployed for a stronger presence on the platforms of the line on which the deadly attack occurred.
Video from CATS shows Zarutska, 23, boarding the Lynx Blue Line just after 9:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. Zarutska, wearing her pizzeria uniform, sits in front of a man in a red hoodie and begins scrolling on her phone. The man then gets up after a few minutes, pulls out a knife and stabs Zarutska.
Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska came to the U.S. to escape war but was stabbed to death in Charlotte on Friday, Aug. 22. (WBTV; Evgeniya Rush/GoFundMe)
Brown is charged with first-degree murder, according to a Mecklenburg County arrest warrant. The charging text specifies that he “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder Iryna Zarutska” on Aug. 22, 2025.
Records obtained by Fox News Digital showed that Brown has a history of arrests going back more than a decade, including convictions for larceny and breaking-and-entering in 2013, and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon that sent him to prison for more than six years.
Brown was released in 2020 but remained on parole until 2021, and subsequent charges against him included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year. Police said Brown and Zarutska did not know each other and that the attack was random.
