Defendant accused of murdering Iryna Zarustka in Charlotte is declared mentally incompetent to stand trial

Decarlos Brown, the man accused of murdering Iryna Zarustka in North Carolina, was found mentally incompetent to stand trial. This was revealed in a court document released on April 7. The man faces both state and federal murder charges for the stabbing of the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee.

According to the document, the results of a Dec. 29, 2025 evaluation at Central Regional Hospital determined that Brown is not fit to stand trial.

Under North Carolina state law, a person may be charged if he understands the nature and object of the proceeding, understands his status in connection with the proceeding, and can cooperate in his defense rationally and reasonably.

Currently, the charges against Brown continue and the next hearing is scheduled for April 30.

Zarutska's murder took place in August 2025 on the Charlotte City Subway. The young woman was sitting on a train when she was stabbed by Brown, who had already been arrested repeatedly and for multiple crimes. Subsequently, as seen in the video that went viral on social media, the man walked through the carriage, leaving traces of blood falling from the weapon.

A month after the case, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Iryna Law. The legislation was signed by the state's Democratic governor, Josh Stein, and tightens the conditions under which an arrested person may be released while awaiting trial. Specifically, it requires judges to conduct a more rigorous analysis of the risk posed by the defendant before releasing him or her, eliminates one form of cashless bail, and makes involuntary commitment to psychiatric hospitals easier for arrestees with a history of mental health problems following an arrest.

The case caused outrage at the White House. The president Donald Trump even posted the following message on Truth Social, where he blamed lax anti-crime policies for the act: "The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP."