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Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee from Ukraine, came to the U.S. seeking safety from her war-torn homeland, but was stabbed to death on a train in North Carolina.
Zarutska was born to parents Anna Zarutska and Stanislav Zarutskyi on May 22, 2002. She is remembered by her friends as a passionate artist with a deep love for animals, with a goal of becoming a veterinary assistant, according to her obituary.
Before coming to the U.S., she graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in art and restoration. Her obituary noted that Zarutska used her skills to make works of art for loved ones.
“Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met. Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her,” her obituary read.
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Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska came to the U.S. to escape war but was stabbed to death in Charlotte on Friday, Aug. 22. (Evgeniya Rush/GoFundMe)
In August 2022, Zarutska, her mother, sister and brother immigrated to the U.S. to escape the war in Ukraine. Zarutska was said to have quickly embraced her new life in the U.S. and became fluent in English.
“She was always very helpful, very supportive and just had a heart of gold,” a family friend identified by her first name, Lonnie, told WCNC Charlotte. “She was a sweetheart. And it makes me sick to think that she’s gone.”
On Aug. 22, Zarutska boarded a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on her way home from work at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria. Still in her uniform, Zarutska sat down in front of a man wearing a red hoodie. Moments later, the man pulled out a knife and stabbed her to death. The suspect was later identified as Decarlos Brown, who was arrested and charged with murder.
Surveillance video showing the moment before a young Ukrainian woman was stabbed to death in a random attack on the Lynx Blue Line on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)
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After Zarutska’s killing, Zepeddie’s Pizzeria issued a statement on social media, calling her death “a tremendous loss.”
“We lost not only an incredible employee, but a true friend. Our dear Iryna left this world far too soon, and our hearts are heavy with grief,” Zepeddie’s Pizzeria wrote on Instagram. “As we continue to process this tragedy, we ask for your understanding and respect for our team as we try to find peace… Iryna, we miss you more than words can say. You will forever be in our hearts.”
Zepeddie’s mentioned in the post that its staff had kept a candle lit in Zarutska’s honor, symbolizing “the warmth, kindness and light she brought to our lives every day.”
L-R: A mugshot of Decarlos Brown; surveillance video showing Brown on the light rail train. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; CATS)
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Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the Mecklenburg County arrest warrant. Police said Brown and Zarutska did not know each other and that the attack was random.
Records obtained by Fox News Digital show Brown has a lengthy history of arrests, going back over a decade. His record includes convictions for larceny and breaking-and-entering in 2013 and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon.
He served in prison until 2020 and was on parole until 2021. Subsequent charges against him included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.