A North Carolina judge is under fire after releasing a violent repeat offender who went on to brutally murder a Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte’s light rail system.
Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes freed 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. in January on nothing more than a written promise that he would return to court.
Judge’s Decision
Brown had been arrested in January for “misuse of the 911 system” after repeatedly calling police during a welfare check.
Despite his lengthy criminal history — including armed robbery, firearms charges, and assault — Judge Stokes released him immediately.
Teresa Stokes
Court records show she allowed him to walk free based only on his “written promise” to appear at his next hearing.
Stokes is also listed as Director of Operations at a Charlotte mental health and addiction clinic.
Critics are now asking whether her decisions have been influenced by her outside work in the “second chances” industry.
Social media erupted after learning she released a man with 14 prior arrests into the public despite the obvious danger.
The Murder
On August 22, Brown stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska multiple times in a random attack while she was seated on a Charlotte light rail train.
Horrifying surveillance footage shows Zarutska scrolling through her phone before Brown pulled a knife and slashed her throat.
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Bystanders did nothing as the homeless career criminal calmly walked away, leaving the carriage covered in blood.
Brown’s criminal history dates back to 2007.
In 2014, he was sentenced to five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Decarlos Brown Jr.
He was also arrested for physically assaulting his sister, among numerous other offenses.
Police documents from his January arrest show he claimed “man-made” materials had been placed inside his body controlling his actions.
A Preventable Tragedy
Zarutska had fled war-torn Ukraine for safety in America.
Iryna Zarutska
Instead, she was murdered by a man who never should have been released back onto the streets.
Her death has become a flashpoint in the debate over soft-on-crime judges and revolving-door justice.
