Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested on August 22 and charged with the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, 23, on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte. Brown was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system—a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty. According to recordings, Brown claimed that “material” in his body, not he himself, was responsible for the stabbing.
Brown’s mother and sister describe a long history of untreated mental illness. Brown was diagnosed with schizophrenia and began showing dramatic behavioral changes following his release from prison in 2020 after serving five years for armed robbery. His mother, Michelle Dewitt, told ABC News that after his release, “he was different” and not “the normal Carlos, the fun Carlos.” She observed violent behaviors including slamming doors, yelling in her face, and talking to himself while walking around the home.
Despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia and being prescribed medication, Brown refused to take it. Growing increasingly concerned about her and her husband’s safety, Dewitt took Brown to a mental health hospital, but the facility said there was no available room and could not admit him because he was not actively threatening to harm himself. After filing a magistrate petition for mental health intervention, a facility agreed to hold Brown for 14 days, but eventually released him back to his parents’ care. When he stopped taking medication, the family was unable to maintain any routine or structure. Overwhelmed, Dewitt and her husband brought him to the Roof Above Lucille Giles Men’s Shelter in Charlotte.
In subsequent months, Dewitt saw her son on the street repeatedly. When arrested in January for misusing 911, Brown told officers he believed he had a “man-made” material inside him that controlled what he ate and how he walked and talked. His sister, Tracey Brown, acknowledged that she is not excusing his alleged actions but emphasized: “If he had the proper care this wouldn’t have happened.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-sister-charlotte-stabbing-suspect-describe-history-mental/story?id=125451590