A man accused of fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. During a hearing on Tuesday, Decarlos Brown Jr. interrupted proceedings to rant about “material in his body” and demanded to press charges against the FBI.
Brown, 23, faces federal charges of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, as well as state first-degree murder charges. The victim, Iryna Zarutska, also 23, had fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion and was sitting in front of Brown when he attacked her last August, according to federal prosecutors. Surveillance footage shows Zarutska boarding the train and taking a seat moments before Brown pulled out a knife and stabbed her three times. He then walked away and was found by police on the platform.
Brown’s mental health evaluation was conducted at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. The judge has ordered that he remain in custody and receive medication and treatment for up to four months in an effort to restore his competency. His competency hearing revealed he was “incapable of proceeding” in court, a finding that also delays state proceedings for at least six months.
President Donald Trump previously described Brown as a “deranged monster who was roaming free after 14 prior arrests.” Speaking from the Oval Office in September, Trump called for a forceful response against “depraved criminal element of violent repeat offenders.” Brown could face life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted on the federal charge.
