Following the murder of Iryna Zarutska at the hands of career criminal Decarlos Brown Jr, people have questioned how he was even on the streets to begin with.
The horrific attack happened on August 22 when Iryna was venturing home from her job at a pizza resturant. Decarlos, who suffers from schizophrenia, was sitting behind her, but just four minutes into the journey, he slashed her three times with a folding blade.
His own mother, Michelle Dewitt, and sister, Tracey, argued that he should never have been on the streets, referencing his long criminal history and mental health issues.
Credit: CATS
Decarlos Brown Jr’s criminal history started in 2007
Nearly 20 years before the tragic murder of Iryna Zarutska, police in Charlotte, North Carolina, were more than familiar with the name Decarlos Brown Jr.
At 22, he was charged in at least four separate instances of shoplifting, larceny, breaking and entering and felony conspiracy. According to PEOPLE, court records showed that he had been convicted of all charges besides felony conspiracy. Less than a year later, Decarlos robbed a man of his phone and $450 at gunpoint, which landed him in prison after reaching a plea deal.
Following his nearly six-year prison stint, Decarlos Brown Jr was arrested again in January 2025 after placing a 911 call complaining of “man-made materials” being inserted into his body by the government.
Credit: Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office
“Officers advised Brown that the issue was a medical issue and that there was nothing further they could do,” the police report said. “Brown became upset with officers’ answers and, with officers still on scene, called 911 to speak with police.”
He was charged with a misdemeanour, but was later released by Mecklenburg Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes. She has been met with fierce backlash following the Iryna news, with many people arguing that it could have been avoided if she’d simply kept him in jail.
“I was surprised to see this guy was out,” said Matthew William Logan, a professor at Texas State University’s criminal justice school who specialises in prison research. “If you look back at this guy’s past, you think, ‘How could we not see something like this coming?’”
In total, Decarlos Brown Jr has been arrested 14 times in his life. Donald Trump has now called for the death penalty.
“Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed crime policies that prioritised criminals over innocent people,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never see the light of day as a free man again.”
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Featured image credit: Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
