The man accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train has spoken publicly for the first time from jail, offering an explanation that family members and officials rejected as baseless.
Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, is charged with first-degree murder in the Aug. 22 killing, which was captured on surveillance video on the Lynx Blue Line.
Possible motive
In audio published by the Daily Mail, Brown told his sister that he was not in control of his actions and claimed “materials” allegedly implanted by the government “used” his body to stab the victim.
Pressed on why Zarutska was targeted, Brown said only that the “materials” “lashed out on her,” according to the recording.
🚨BREAKING: Decarlos Brown Jr. speaks from jail for the first time since the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska.
He claims the government implanted “materials” in his body that made him commit the horrific crime.
“The material. Put it like that. The material using my body. It’s… pic.twitter.com/SxKNqbpNe5
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 10, 2025
Additional footage circulating online appears to capture a man saying, “I got that white girl,” as he walked away after the attack. Investigators have not publicly discussed motive and have not confirmed that statement on the record.
“I GOT THAT WHITE GIRL!” – Decarlos Brown, after stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death.
She fled war for safety in America—only to be murdered for being WHITE. But media calls it “random”? NOT a hate crime? Wake up! This is the blood on Dem hands. pic.twitter.com/o0UBBSkwiR
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) September 9, 2025
An affidavit cited by local media said Brown previously told officers he believed “man-made” material inside his body controlled when he ate, walked, and talked.
Tracey Brown, the suspect’s sister, told the Daily Mail her brother has struggled with severe mental-health issues and should not have been on the streets.
She said he sought hospital care multiple times but was discharged within 24 hours and that a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation was delayed
The attack
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Zarutska suffered multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the East/West Boulevard station shortly before 10 p.m.
Video released last week appears to show the assailant rising from a seat behind Zarutska and stabbing her as she looked at her phone.
Zarutska fled Ukraine in 2022 with family, settling in Charlotte. An obituary described her as a gifted artist who loved animals and was working while learning to drive and improve her English.
Friends and neighbors remembered her “vibrant spirit” and frequent pet-sitting in the community.
Legal posture
Brown remains in Mecklenburg County Jail ahead of a court hearing later this month.
In addition to state charges, federal prosecutors have charged Brown with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, an offense that carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment or death if convicted.
