Affidavit says victim, suspect in Charlotte light rail stabbing did not interact

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police affidavit filed in court Thursday gives new details of a fatal stabbing on the light rail in South End.

Decarlos Brown, 34, is charged with stabbing and murdering Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee who came to Charlotte from Ukraine.

At about 9:55 p.m., police got a call for service reporting that a man had just stabbed a woman in the throat on the Lynx Blue Line, according to the affidavit.

It said that when police arrived, witnesses pointed them to Brown standing on the outbound light rail platform. He had a cut on the outside of his right hand, the affidavit said, and he matched callers’ descriptions.

Detectives also got video from inside the train, which reportedly showed Zarutska entering and sitting in front of Brown. For about four-and-a-half minutes, the ride continued as normal before he pulled out a knife, according to the affidavit. The affidavit said he unfolded it, paused, stood up and struck her three times.

The video showed blood hitting the floor and Zarutska going unresponsive as Brown walked away, according to the affidavit.

“The defendant is the assailant on the video,” it said. “There appears to be no interaction between the victim and defendant.”

Security guard positions vacant

The Charlotte Area Transit System said in an unsigned email to The Charlotte Observer on Thursday that its contracted security company is working to fill 35 vacancies.

Professional Security Services, a Charlotte-based company run by former CMPD officers, has 184 security personnel, but there are 219 total positions, CATS said.

“PSS is actively recruiting, hiring and training staff with the goal of achieving full staffing this fall,” the transit system said in the email.

The stabbing has resparked fears about public safety on CATS transit among city leaders and locals.

Asked by The Charlotte Observer what the agency is doing in response to the killing, CATS said it “has been working to re-imagine (its) approach to safety and security” over the last eight months.

That has included working with the security company. CATS is also deploying “security officers across the system during all hours of operation, seven days a week,” it said.

Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 4:01 PM.

Ryan Oehrli

The Charlotte Observer

Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.