Charlotte Mayor’s Response to Ukrainian Refugee’s Murder Ignites Outrage [WATCH]

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is facing criticism over her response to the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, as reported by The New York Post.

Lyles referred to the crime as “a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society safety nets related to mental health care.”

Blood-curdling moment career criminal stabs to death Ukrainian who fled war for safety of America https://t.co/Lp3JwpTL1I

— Zicutake USA Comment (@Zicutake) September 6, 2025

The accused killer, 36-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., had a long history of mental illness and criminal behavior. Brown, previously convicted of robbery with a deadly weapon, was released from prison in 2020 after serving a five-year sentence.

Following his release, his family reported a rapid decline in his mental state. His mother said he exhibited aggressive behavior, including assaulting his sister, which led to his involuntary commitment and subsequent diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Despite the diagnosis, Brown was released after just two weeks of monitoring. His mother, unable to manage his behavior, expelled him from her home, leaving him homeless.

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Brown’s interactions with law enforcement escalated in the years that followed. In 2024, Charlotte police encountered him on three separate occasions and referred him to unspecified “resources.”

In January 2025, officers performing a welfare check reported that Brown claimed “man-made materials” inside his body were controlling him.

When police told him they could not address his delusions, Brown called 911 himself, which resulted in a charge for misusing the emergency system.

Court records show that a judge released Brown on a written promise to return for a hearing. After his attorney raised concerns about his “capacity to proceed,” another judge ordered a forensic evaluation. That evaluation was never completed.

Mayor Lyles, in her remarks, stated that Brown “has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis.”

NEW: Authorities release footage of a Ukrainian refugee getting stabbed in the throat in a random attack by a career criminal in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Absolutely sick.

23-year-old Iryna Zarutska fled Ukraine, “seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning”… pic.twitter.com/Tn0AB81vwO

— The Black MAGA Preacher (@WellsJorda89710) September 7, 2025

The case has renewed concerns about how the justice and mental health systems handle repeat offenders with severe psychiatric disorders. Experts and advocates point to systemic gaps in psychiatric care and the difficulty of mandating treatment.

While acknowledging that most individuals with mental illness are not violent, many argue that allowing untreated, unstable individuals to remain on the streets poses serious risks to public safety.

Lyles maintained her position that the city cannot simply incarcerate its way out of homelessness and mental health challenges. “We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health,” she said.

Lyles is a vile, despicable, semi-human monster, who is directly and personally responsible for the crime wave that took this young lady’s life, as well as harming so many others while she ate cake, sneered at her own constituency, and babbled nonsense.

And there are so many… https://t.co/79SAodzgXn

— Paramedic Firefighter, aka Rev. John McKay, AEMT-P (@ParamedicVet) September 9, 2025

However, critics argue that the city failed to take meaningful action despite repeated warning signs. Court delays, incomplete evaluations, and limited intervention combined to allow Brown to remain in the community without treatment or confinement, ultimately culminating in Zarutska’s murder.

The killing has reignited debate about whether North Carolina laws should be reformed to expand access to psychiatric facilities and make it easier for authorities to mandate treatment or institutionalization for those with severe mental illness.

The tragedy underscores a recurring dilemma in cities nationwide: balancing civil liberties with the urgent need to protect both the public and individuals suffering from untreated psychiatric conditions.

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