The mother of the suspect involved in the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee has spoken out about her son's crimes.
Last month (22 August), Iryna Zarutska was tragically stabbed to death while travelling on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, with video footage showing the moments leading up to and right after the horrifying incident being released to the public last Friday (5 September).
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) released the video showing Zarutska seated as she was repeatedly stabbed from behind. She was pronounced dead at the scene, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He has a prior criminal history that includes robbery and larceny convictions, having previously been arrested 14 times.
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No motive in the stabbing has been revealed by investigators.
Brown Jr.'s mother, Michelle Dewitt, has since opened up about the horrifying ordeal, explaining that she tried to get her schizophrenic son help, but that he was repeatedly turned away.
She told the NY Post that he should never have been walking free, as his mental health was rapidly deteriorating.
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"He shouldn’t have been released," the 51-year-old said of him being free on a 'written promise' to appear for a court date after his latest arrest a few months back in January.
She went on to explain that she had taken her son to a homeless shelter just days before the attack, adding that he had grown increasingly aggressive with both her and her husband.
"I think Carlos had an episode," Dewitt added, referring to the motive behind the shocking attack.
Earlier this week on Tuesday (9 September), Brown Jr. was hit with federal charges while US President Donald Trump called for him to receive the death penalty.
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"The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY," he wrote on Truth Social.
Sharing her response to Trump's comments, Dewitt reportedly 'shook her head and rolled her eyes' before saying: "I think it’s political.
"Once they find out that Carlos has been on medications and how the system failed him, I don’t believe that is going to happen. Donald Trump can’t change all the rules."
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Opening up about her son's mental health some more, Dewitt explained her efforts to get him help but encountered resistance along the way.
"When you bring a person to mental health, and [they] tell you 'We don’t have enough space' or 'Is he trying to kill himself or someone else?' and I say no, then there is nothing we can do, you need to get a court order," she said on Wednesday (10 September).
She plans on visiting her son in jail later this week, explaining: "I’ll let him talk, just listen. I’ll try to explain to him what’s going on. I don’t think he understands what’s happening."
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Dewitt added that she talked to her son on the phone about the murder after his arrest, explaining that Brown was convinced someone was 'removing the chip from his brain' that had been controlling his actions and believed he’d be out soon.
"I think he misunderstood. He said, 'Mama, I will see you later'," she said, as per the outlet.
You can support Iryna Zarutska's family via her official obituary website here.
Rhiannon Ingle