The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States offered a response to the death of a Ukrainian war refugee who was fatally stabbed on a light rail train in Charlotte last month.
In a statement to The Epoch Times on Tuesday, the embassy’s spokesperson, Halyna Yusypiuk, said the embassy is “deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ukrainian citizen Iryna Zarutska,” adding that the embassy contacted her family after the murder occurred.
“The Embassy is also in ongoing communication with local U.S. law enforcement authorities, specifically the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which is actively investigating the case. We sincerely appreciate their cooperation and commitment to conducting a thorough and transparent investigation,” the statement said.
The killing, which took place on Aug. 22, gained national attention over the past weekend after local authorities released surveillance video of the slaying. The clip shows suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. moments before he allegedly stabbed 23-year-old Zarutska with a knife without warning while they were riding a Charlotte Area Transit System train.
Zarutska, who went by the name Ira, had come to the United States three years ago with her mother, sister, and brother seeking safety from Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to an obituary. She was a “gifted and passionate artist” who had earned a degree in art and restoration from a Kyiv college and dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant, the obituary said.
Brown, 34, has been charged with first-degree murder, local police said in a statement. A judge has ordered him committed to a local hospital for at least 60 days for psychiatric evaluation, court records show. Brown has a long criminal history and spent several years in prison for armed robbery, records also show.
Brown’s prior arrest came in January for misuse of 911, after he called police to investigate what he claimed was a “man-made” material someone had put inside him to control his behavior, according to court records. He was released by a magistrate judge and later ordered to undergo a mental health screening, with the charge still pending.
The case has drawn attention from the Trump administration as well in recent days. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he had seen the video and questioned why Brown was able to roam freely.
