|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BFMG) — The man accused of fatally stabbing a young woman on a Charlotte light rail train last year has been found incapable of proceeding following an evaluation at a state psychiatric facility.
Decarlos Brown Jr. allegedly stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a refugee from Ukraine, on a light rail train in August 2025 in an apparently random attack captured on surveillance video. The horrific footage showed Brown repeatedly stabbing Zarutska in the neck as she sat in her seat; officials said the two did not know each other.
Brown was evaluated at Central Regional Hospital, which determined he was “incapable of proceeding,” according to a motion filed Tuesday in Mecklenburg County court. A judge has yet to rule on the findings, and the case is expected to be delayed until the court determines his capacity has been restored.
Brown’s public defender requested a 180-day continuance, including a hearing on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. The motion revealed details of the previously sealed mental health evaluation.
The case drew national attention, including comments from President Donald Trump and other officials who criticized Charlotte leaders. It also prompted changes in North Carolina’s criminal justice system, including the passage of Iryna’s Law.
Brown is in federal custody in Chicago after a grand jury indicted him Oct. 22, 2025, for violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death. His attorney argued in Tuesday’s motion that a required capacity hearing cannot proceed while he remains in federal custody, a position the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office supports.
Brown also faces a court-ordered psychiatric exam in his federal case, though filings from March 6 show it remains incomplete with an extended evaluation period. Attorneys noted it’s rare for a defendant to undergo simultaneous competency processes in state and federal court.
Restoring competency in North Carolina can take more than a year due to limited space in state psychiatric facilities.
