Decarlos Brown Jr., the man who is accused of stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in an unprovoked attack on a train in Charlotte, N.C., last year, has been deemed incompetent to stand trial.
His lawyers filed a motion in Mecklenburg County Court on Tuesday, asserting he is “incapable to proceed,” citing a report from Brown’s time in Central Regional Hospital in December.
Graphic video from the August 2025 attack shows Brown stabbing Zarutska in the neck and then exiting the train. Moments later, Brown was arrested. Brown has remained in federal custody since October, when he was indicted by a grand jury.
Brown is currently facing a state level murder charge, as well as a federal charge of causing death on a mass transportation system. Brown could face the death penalty if he is convicted.
However, the trial is now on pause as a judge is tasked with weighing the recent motion filed by Brown’s attorneys, who are requesting a 180-day delay in the proceedings.
Brown has remained in federal custody since October, when he was indicted by a grand jury.
At the time of the attack, Brown had recently been released by Mecklenburg County Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes following a misuse of 911 charge. There was an incident at a local hospital in which Brown was acting erratically, and bystanders called the police. Brown said there was a “man-made substance” controlling his body from within and when officers did not respond in the way Brown hoped, he called 911 and promptly hung up.
Brown has a long criminal record, including a history of mental illness and violent criminal behavior. Stokes, nonetheless, released Brown on cashless bail.
His earliest crimes date back to 2007, including several serious charges, such as robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and felony larceny, alongside a slew of lesser misdemeanors, National Review reported in September after reviewing court documents. Before stabbing Zarutska in the neck, Brown was arrested 33 times, and criminally charged on 14 of those occasions.
Further, after the stabbing took place, Brown’s mother spoke out, saying she struggled to have him committed and blamed the justice system.
Brown lived with his mother after he was released from prison following a six-year sentence for armed robbery. He expressed both violent and erratic behavior, prompting her to have her son evaluated. After undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, Brown was diagnosed with schizophrenia and his mother sought an involuntary commitment order.
Per North Carolina state law, a defendant is considered “incapable to proceed” if the defendant cannot comprehend the nature of their charges, understand their role in court proceedings, or assist in their defense.
Brown’s attorneys argue that while he remains in federal custody on related charges, a hearing to determine whether or not he is competent cannot proceed. Further, when a defendant is deemed incompetent to stand trial, there is a move to “restore capacity” — a process which also cannot begin while Brown remains in federal custody, according to his attorneys.
To restore capacity, a defendant is often treated with medication and treatment. Once deemed competent, the trial resumes.