Welcome to Arrest Stories. A thirty-four-year-old man with fourteen prior arrests has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly stabbing a twenty-three-year-old Ukrainian refugee multiple times in the throat on a Charlotte light rail train. Here's what may have happened.
On August twenty-second, DeCarlos Brown Junior was already seated on a Charlotte Area Transit System rail car when the victim, Olesya Zarutska, boarded the train. According to surveillance footage, Brown appeared visibly emotional and was moving restlessly in his seat before the deadly encounter unfolded.
Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had fled war in her homeland seeking safety in America, sat down directly in front of Brown after boarding the light rail. Within just four minutes of her taking that seat, Brown's behavior escalated dramatically. Video evidence shows Brown unfolding a pocket knife, standing up from his position, and stabbing Zarutska at least three times in the throat area while she remained seated.
The attack was swift and brutal. Brown sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and was initially transported to Atrium Health for treatment. He remained hospitalized for one week before being discharged and taken into custody by Charlotte authorities.
This wasn't Brown's first encounter with law enforcement. His criminal history spans back to two thousand eleven, including a five-year sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon in two thousand fourteen. He was released in September two thousand twenty. More recently, Brown faced multiple arrests in January for misusing the nine-one-one system and trespassing on hospital property.
Brown's mother has stated that the court system failed by allowing her son to remain in the community despite his mental health issues and extensive arrest record. She claims he believed man-made material inside his body was controlling his actions.
The victim's tragic death has sparked outrage, with officials noting she came to America seeking safety from war only to have her life cut short. Brown is being held without bond on first-degree murder charges.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.
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