Charlotte stabbing victim Iryna Zarutska’s BF slams judge who freed Decarlos Brown on bail before attack
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: The boyfriend of 21-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was brutally stabbed to death aboard a Charlotte light rail train last month, has broken his silence with a mix of grief and outrage.
Stanislav “Stas” Nikulytsia, who lived with Zarutska in Charlotte, shared a photo of the two smiling together in swimsuits, captioned only with a broken heart emoji.
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Ukraine refugee Iryna Zarutska’s boyfriend pays tribute
Stanislav Nikulytsia also took to his Instagram Stories to share clips criticizing Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released Iryna Zarutska’s suspected killer, Decarlos Brown, on cashless bail earlier this year, as per the Daily Mail. Some of the posts even claimed Stokes lacked proper legal qualifications.
Brown, a repeat offender with more than a dozen prior arrests, had been freed in January on a written promise to appear in court — a decision now under sharp scrutiny after Zarutska’s tragic death on August 22.
Adding a personal tribute, Nikulytsia updated his Instagram bio to a mushroom emoji, one of Zarutska’s favorite symbols, alongside a broken heart.
Iryna Zarutska texted her BF that she'll be home soon before fatal attack
Iryna Zarutska’s loved ones first grew concerned when she failed to arrive home the night of the attack. They later traced her phone’s location to the train station, where they learned she had been killed on the scene. “That night, she texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon,” the family shared in a statement to WSOC, describing the moment they realized their worst fears had come true.
“Upon arriving at the station, they were devastated to learn that Iryna had died at the scene,” the family added.
Fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine in August 2022, Zarutska moved to the US with her mother and two younger siblings. Despite the upheaval, her relatives said she quickly built a life in Charlotte and became deeply connected to her community. More than 100 people, including residents from an assisted living facility where she once worked, attended her services.
Buses were arranged to bring those who had known her in her earliest days in America.
“They didn't want to come to this country and be a burden,” her uncle recalled in an interview with People. “She came here to build a new life. What motivated us to get them out of Ukraine was seeing a photo of them huddled in a bomb shelter near their Kyiv apartment.”
The family has chosen to bury Zarutska in the US, even though the State Department offered to return her remains to Ukraine.
Iryna Zarutska's brutal stabbing leads to calls for safety reforms
Iryna Zarutska’s family issued a powerful statement expressing their anguish and calling for systemic changes. “We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way,” the statement read. “No family should have to go through this.”
They also urged Charlotte officials and the Charlotte Area Transit System to implement stronger protections for passengers. “This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night,” the family warned. “We are committed to making sure this never happens again.”
The suspect, Brown, remains at the center of both a criminal investigation and a larger debate over bail reform, judicial accountability, and public safety in Charlotte.
