Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is a career criminal and schizophrenic accused of stabbing Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina

His siblings and father have lengthy criminal records, revealed through court and law enforcement documents

His older brother, Stacey Brown, killed a 65-year-old man and used the Charlotte light rail to escape police in October 2012

Pleading guilty in April 2014 to second-degree murder, two counts of armed robbery, assault with intent to kill and breaking a motor vehicle, Stacy was sentenced to 27-36 years in prison

Brown Jr’s sister Tracey Vontrea Brown, 33, has a criminal record that includes larceny, felony conspiracy, vehicle theft, resisting public officers, misdemeanor shoplifting

Their father Decarlos Brown Sr, in 1990, was been arrested for breaking and entering, felony conspiracy, larceny, and possession of a weapon on a university campus

Decarlos Brown Jr., [right], 34, a career criminal and schizophrenic was arrested last month, after fatally stabbing Ukranian refugee Iryna Zarutska [left], on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina

The alleged killer who stabbed a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a train was revealed as a member of a family riddled with criminal records.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is a career criminal and schizophrenic accused of stabbing Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, August 22.
The ex-con was only on the street because when he made his last appearance January 21, North Carolina Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes released the serial offender on a cashless bail on a “written promise” that he would show up to a future court date.
Now court and law enforcement documents reveal that the alleged killer is not the only member of his family to veer into violent crime.
His siblings, similar to their father, also have lengthy criminal records. Their father, Brown Sr., in 1990 was arrested for breaking and entering, larceny, felony conspiracy, and possession of a weapon on a college campus.

Stacey Brown [photo], is serving a sentence to 27-36 years in prison after gunning down Robert Heym, 65, during a robbery in October 2012. He pled guilty and was sentenced in April 2014

The suspect’s older brother, Stacey Dejon Brown, as revealed in court documents is serving a long stretch for murder.
In October 2012, Stacy and an accomplice, gunned down 65-year-old Robert Heym during a robbery then fled the scene on the Charlotte light rail.
He was sentenced to 27-36 years in prison after pleading guilty in April 2014, to second-degree murder and two counts of armed robbery, assault with intent to kill and breaking a motor vehicle.
While in jail, he has received 44 infractions, including crimes such as assaulting someone with a deadly weapon, setting a fire, theft of property and lock tampering.
He was also served probation for a conviction in 2010 for threats against the government or assault, according to North Carolina’s prison database.

Brown Jr’s sister Tracey Vontrea Brown, [photo], who produced audio of a phone call with her brother from his jail cell, and claimed the system failed her sibling, a ‘schizophrenic who reached out seeking help’, was last arrested in 2024 for felony conspiracy, shoplifting, and misdemeanor larceny

Brown Jr.’s sister, 33-year-old Tracey Vontrea Brown, who recently made headlines speaking about her brother’s battle with schizophrenia, also has a criminal record that includes larceny, felony conspiracy, vehicle theft, resisting public officers, misdemeanor shoplifting, and, most recently, an arrest in 2024 for felony conspiracy, shoplifting, and misdemeanor larceny.
Their father Decarlos Brown Sr, has been arrested as well, reportedly for breaking and entering, felony conspiracy, larceny, and possession of a weapon on a university campus in 1990.
Decarlos Jr. has at least 14 prior arrests and was freed from jail in January on a ‘written promise to appear.’ he was charged with misusing the 911 system while he allegedly had a mental episode.
Months later, in August, on the same train service his brother used to flee from the police years ago, he allegedly stabbed Zarutska.

Iryna Zarutska s 23-year-old recent refugee from Ukrainian war was stabbed multiple times and died on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, NC, on August 22. Footage shows the attack by Brown Jr, a total stranger, was unprovoked

Since the stabbing, the Video footage of the woman bleeding out for minutes with no one offering help, has gone viral. In the video, the assailant is heard saying, ‘I got that white girl.’
Attorney General Pam Bondi announcing the federal charges he would face said: ‘Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream, her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.’
‘We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence. He will never again see the light of day as a free man.’

Decarlos Jr. is said to have blamed the materials inside his body, planted inside him by the govt, for making him Zarutska. However the AG, Pam Bondi, announced that based on federal charges he would face, ‘We will seek the maximum penalty. e will never again see the light of day as a free man’

Since the stabbing, the video footage has gone viral of the woman bleeding out for minutes without any help. In the video, Decarlos Jr. can reportedly be heard saying, ‘I got that white girl’

Decarlos Jr. in the audio submitted by his sister of their phone call, blames the materials inside his body, planted inside him by the government, for making him kill the Zarutska.
Tracey Brown recorded Brown Jr telling her during their telephone conversation from his prison cell: ‘I never said not one word to the lady at all. That’s scary, ain’t it? Why would somebody stab somebody for no reason?’
He added that he wants the police to investigate the materials in his body that caused him to kill her.
Brown Jr’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19.