Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, tragically succumbed to fatal stab wounds on a North Carolina train, leaving bystanders in shock as they called for help, according to urgent 911 calls reviewed by The Post.
“A man just stabbed this woman without any reason,” exclaimed one breathless caller during a frantic three-minute exchange, after Decarlos Brown, a homeless repeat offender, allegedly attacked the 23-year-old with a pocket knife.
“Please hurry! She’s bleeding. She’s losing too much blood!” pleaded the frantic caller, who struggled to maintain his composure amid the chaos on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte on August 22.
According to eyewitness accounts, the suspect—identified as a paranoid schizophrenic with a lengthy criminal history—was a black male who had exited the train.
Another witness, reporting the scene, stated that Zarutska—who had fled to the United States in 2022 to escape the war in Ukraine—was “non-responsive” while bystanders attempted to apply pressure to her wounds to prevent further blood loss.
“There’s a woman who has been stabbed. She’s on the ground, and there’s a significant amount of blood… we did not witness the attack,” recounted a female bystander to the emergency operator.
“People are in a panic. There’s so much blood. I fear she’s gone,” she added.
While some accounts described the 34-year-old alleged assailant as wearing blue jeans, a red hoodie, and having dreadlocks, other callers expressed their concern that Zarutska was likely beyond help.
“A girl got stabbed on the train. I think she’s dead,” one caller emphasized to the dispatcher.
“I fear the girl might be dead… the attacker is over here on the ramp,” he added.
Shocking surveillance images from the brutal incident illustrate the terrified victim recoiling with her hands over her face as she gazed up at her assailant in dread after being stabbed three times, with one puncture to her neck.
With blood pooling on her clothing, Zarutska collapsed moments later as her attacker left the scene brandishing the weapon, creating a horrifying trail of blood.
She was declared dead at the scene on the light rail.
Brown, who had amassed 13 prior convictions and was out on bail while awaiting trial, was apprehended shortly after the incident and facing charges for causing death on a mass transportation system.
This federal charge could potentially open him up to the death penalty, as stated by the Justice Department.
