A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee was killed in the USA: details of the incident

On the evening of 22 August, a tragedy occurred at the South End electric train station in Charlotte, North Carolina. Police received a call about an assault, and on the spot found 23-year-old Irina Zarutskaya with stab wounds. Medics were unable to save the girl and she died on the spot, city police said.

According to local media and the GoFundMe platform, Irina was a Ukrainian refugee who fled her homeland because of the war, dreaming of a new life in the US. The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr, was detained immediately after the incident. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and is scheduled to be arrested on a charge of first-degree murder after he is discharged.

According to make-up artist Ulyana Kozlovskaya, who collaborated with Irina, the girl came to America in search of safety. She attended Rowan-Cabarrus Community College from 2023 in an effort to build a future. A $20,000 fundraiser was organised on the GoFundMe platform to support Irina's family and cover unexpected expenses.

Charlotte police have reported Irina's death to her family and the investigation into the circumstances of the attack is ongoing.

'We don't know the exact sequence of events leading up to this incident, whether it was an argument or an altercation. That's part of the investigation," said Mount Connell police spokesman Ryan Kendall.

Decarlos Brown Jr, who is described as homeless, has a criminal record. According to the Charlotte Observer, he has been arrested multiple times since 2011 for theft, robbery and menacing, though most of the charges were dropped. The New York Post specifies that he served five years in prison for robbery and illegal weapons possession. In January 2025, Brown was accused of misusing 911 service when he claimed he had "artificial material" in his body that controlled his actions. These bizarre claims raise questions about his mental state, but the motive for the attack on Irina remains unclear.