The mother and sister of Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, the suspect in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line, say he struggled with mental illness for years following his release from prison.
Brown was arrested on August 22 after allegedly stabbing Zarutska three times during an unprovoked attack. Audio recordings reveal Brown told his sister that “material” in his body caused him to act and that he did not know Zarutska, News.Az reports, citing ABC News.
Family of #Charlotte stabbing suspect opens up about mental illness
— News.Az (@news_az) September 11, 2025
The mother and sister of Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, the suspect in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old #IrynaZarutska on Charlotte’s #Lynx Blue Line, say he struggled with mental illness for years following his… pic.twitter.com/8W8OVCrI1Q
Brown’s mother, Michelle Dewitt, said her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and exhibited increasingly violent and erratic behavior after his 2020 release from a five-year prison term for armed robbery. She said he refused medication and that, despite attempts to seek help from mental health facilities, resources were limited. Brown spent 14 days in a facility but was eventually released back into his family’s care before being placed at a local shelter.
Brown has a long criminal history, including larceny, breaking and entering, and a January arrest for misusing the 911 system. FBI Special Agent James Barnacle Jr. noted that despite 14 prior charges, Brown remained free leading up to the attack.
He is now charged federally with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, making him eligible for the death penalty. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said the attack was “an attack on the American way of life” and vowed justice for Zarutska and her family.
Brown’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19. His sister, Tracey Brown, emphasized that she does not excuse his actions but believes proper mental health care might have prevented the tragedy.
