New information reveals details about the killer of Ukrainian refugee Irina Zaroutska, who was stabbed on a train in North Carolina while dozens of passengers remained passive. 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Junior comes from a family with an extensive criminal record. On August 22, Brown fatally stabbed the 28-year-old in the neck using a knife. He immediately left the train at the next station in North Carolina, where he was arrested, facing first-degree murder charges.
Ukrainian refugee killer has extensive criminal history – From armed robberies to burglaries and theft
Specifically, his criminal record includes convictions for armed robbery, theft and burglary, but as revealed, his entire family – father and siblings – have a long history of criminal acts, according to court documents and law enforcement records. His brother, Stacy Brown, killed a 65-year-old man in October 2012 and fled from police. In April 2014, he was found guilty of second-degree murder, two counts of armed robbery, assault with intent to kill, and vehicle destruction. He was sentenced to 27-36 years in prison, according to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office. During his incarceration, Brown Junior committed 44 violations. He has also served a suspended sentence for a 2010 conviction related to threats against the government, according to the North Carolina prison database.
The family’s criminal background
His sister, Tracy Vondrea Brown, 33, has her own extensive criminal record including felony conspiracy, vehicle theft, resisting a public official, and shoplifting. A year ago, in 2024, she was arrested for conspiracy and theft. The family patriarch, Decarlos Brown, has also been arrested for burglary, felony conspiracy, theft, and weapon possession on a university campus in 1990.
Decarlos Junior – who had been arrested and released at least 14 times in the past by authorities – was captured on security camera repeatedly plunging his knife into Zaroutska shortly after she boarded the train returning from her job at a pizzeria in Charlotte on August 22.
The murder timeline
The young woman, who had fled Ukraine in 2022 after the Russian invasion to find refuge in the USA with her mother and sister, appears to look in terror at the 35-year-old Black man Decarlos Brown Junior as he pulls a knife from his pocket and repeatedly stabs her in the neck and body. In her final seconds, as the video shows, she turns her head slightly and looks in terror at the man sitting behind her. Her gaze, filled with fear and confusion, is the last image before receiving the fatal blow.
The video shows Zaroutska covering her face with her hands, trying futilely to protect herself, while later drawing up her legs, which are visible covered in blood. The 23-year-old collapses on the train car floor within seconds, while other passengers don’t rush to help, instead watching the incident with indifference. In the background, a male voice can be heard commenting cynically: “he got that white girl.” The perpetrator leaves the car calmly, still holding the bloodstained weapon. He was arrested two minutes later by police at the next station.
