NEW: Iryna Zarutska’s family sues City of Charlotte for ‘systemic failures’ that led to her murder

The family of Iryna Zarutska has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Charlotte and its private transit security contractor, alleging that failures within the city's light rail system contributed to her fatal stabbing last year.

The lawsuit, filed one day before the first anniversary of Zarutska's death, names Charlotte and Professional Security Services, which provides security for the Charlotte Area Transit System. Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed while riding the Lynx Blue Line on August 22, 2025.

The lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 in damages and punitive damages against PSS, but not punitive damages against Charlotte.

DeCarlos Brown Jr., 34, had a lengthy criminal record before Zarutska's death. He had been arrested 14 times in Mecklenburg County, with charges going back to 2007. His record included a 2014 conviction for breaking and entering and later convictions for armed robbery. He served a prison sentence from 2015 until September 2020.

After his release, Brown's family described significant mental health problems. His mother told ABC News that Brown had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and displayed increasingly erratic and violent behavior. She said she attempted to have him involuntarily committed, but the effort was unsuccessful.

In January 2025, months before Zarutska was killed, Brown repeatedly called 911 from outside Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. According to reporting and court records, he told authorities that a “man-made material” inside him was controlling his body. He was charged with misuse of 911 and released without bond. His attorneys later described persistent delusions involving this supposed material and said his mental illness had been severe for years.

After the stabbing, Brown was reportedly captured saying: “I got that white girl.”

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