Decarlos Brown Jr., accused of fatally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail, comes from a family with a long history of violent crime, raising fresh questions about the criminal justice system.
Jeremiah, Brown’s 19-year-old half-brother, told the New York Post that both their father and older brother have criminal records.
“He was on my father’s side. They have a record of being in jail and stuff,” he said.
Brown’s older brother, Stacey Dejon Brown, is serving a 27-to-36-year sentence for a 2014 murder in which he and another man killed 65-year-old Robert Heym during a Charlotte robbery.
In a chilling echo, Stacey reportedly fled the scene via the Charlotte light rail—paralleling the circumstances of Brown’s alleged crime nearly a decade later.
Brown’s father, Decarlos Sr., also has an extensive criminal record, including arrests for breaking and entering, felony conspiracy, larceny and weapon possession on the University of North Carolina-Charlotte campus.
Jeremiah said he has had little contact with his father despite his proximity.
Jeremiah criticized the system for allowing Brown, described as a schizophrenic homeless man with prior convictions, to be released on cashless bail earlier this year.
“I think they could have pretty much prevented it then,” he said. “I didn’t even know he had mental problems…You can’t just let him walk free especially because of mental issues. I think he should suffer the consequences.”
Brown is accused of fatally stabbing Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light rail on Aug. 22 after she boarded the train after her shift at a local pizzeria.
In the video footage, Zarutska is shown taking a seat behind Brown, who moments later stood up and, without warning, stabbed the 23-year-old multiple times in the neck.
Passengers did not intervene during the attack, and it was only later that some bystanders stepped in to assist Zarutska.
Emergency personnel arrived afterward, but despite their efforts, she succumbed to her injuries. The video of the stabbing quickly circulated on social media, going viral and prompting widespread outrage and grief.
Jeremiah expressed sorrow for Zarutska and her loved ones, saying he hopes the family affected by the tragedy receives the support they need.
The incident has sparked criticism of multiple public officials, with many blaming soft-on-crime policies that allowed Brown—who has at least 14 prior arrests—to be released prior to the attack.
In an earlier report, Resist the Mainstream highlighted that North Carolina magistrate Teresa Stokes, who is not a licensed attorney in the state, had released Brown on cashless bail just months before the fatal stabbing.
The revelation that Stokes is not authorized to practice law professionally has fueled outrage among state lawmakers, especially since Brown was freed on a written promise to appear in court despite his extensive criminal record.
As the case moves forward, prosecutors have charged Brown with first-degree murder.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the Department of Justice will seek the maximum penalty, ensuring Brown will never again be free.”
