Advocates cite housing, mental health gaps after stabbing

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The brutal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail in August is sparking deeper conversations about the challenges people face when navigating homelessness, mental illness and criminal backgrounds.

For Deborah Phillips, the case feels far too familiar.

“This hits home for me,” she said.

Phillips, the executive director of Block Love Charlotte, lost her nephew last year when he stepped in front of a train while struggling with mental health issues and homelessness.

“We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of my nephew who stepped in front of a train last year here in Charlotte dealing with mental health issues, and homeless. He had been to me for resources,” Phillips said.

His death motivated her to continue serving people in crisis, though she admits resources can only go so far.

“Not necessarily the lack of resources. You can’t make somebody do what they don’t want to do. And that’s what we have to look at, because his family even stated, you know, multiple times that they tried to get him assistance,” she said.

Mike Carmichael, co-founder of Leah’s Hopes and Dreams, shares the same concern.

“They have to go. It’s not something that I’m going to push to do. They have to choose to do it,” Carmichael said.

Court and jail records show Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused in Zarutska’s death, had at least 14 arrests over the years. His family confirmed he was schizophrenic and homeless at the time of the attack.

The shelter Roof Above said permanent beds are limited and assigned either through a lottery or first-come basis. A criminal history can present additional hurdles.

Access to psychiatric care is also scarce. The closest state psychiatric hospital is more than an hour away in Morganton. Its 300 beds are already full, with a waitlist stretching four to six months.

The 2024 Point-in-Time Count, which tracks people experiencing homelessness in Mecklenburg County, found:

• 82% reported a medical or behavioral condition
• 55% said homelessness factored into their arrest
• 75% identified as African American
• 92% were male

Carmichael says Zarutska’s killing highlights how the prison system often fails both individuals in crisis and the community around them.

“Because there’s a huge gap between the prison system and coming back home. So that’s why we are trying to make sure that we talk to each individual, explain to them when they get out, hey, these are the things you need to go. You need to go see your therapist or your psychiatrist. You need to take your meds,” he said.

He believes more should be done while people are in custody.

“Hey, look, I see this record. I’m going to place this person here and make sure they’re being taken care of. We cannot sit here and say, hey, you know, want to keep letting you out, keep letting you out, know you committed a crime this time. You do your time. And while you’re in there, we need to make sure that we’re taking care of that person,” Carmichael said.

Brown’s family declined an interview. His mother cited safety concerns, while his sister said she noticed a serious change in his behavior after he served six years in jail.