The mother of the man charged in the deadly August stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska said she repeatedly sought help for her son as his mental health worsened and that he should not have been walking free.
Michelle Dewitt, 51, told the New York Post in an interview that her son, identified by authorities as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., had become increasingly aggressive in the days before the Aug. 22 attack on a Charlotte light-rail train that was captured on video. Dewitt said she took him to a homeless shelter and sought mental-health treatment but was rebuffed.
Dewitt said she had taken Brown to hospitals and was told staff could not admit him unless he was an immediate danger to himself or others. "When you bring a person to mental health, and [they] tell you 'we don’t have enough space' or, 'is he trying to kill himself or someone else?' and I say no, then there is nothing we can do, you need to get a court order," she said. She added that Brown was released on a "written promise" to appear for a court date after an arrest in January.
Brown has been charged by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in the slaying of 23-year-old Zarutska, who had come to the United States as a refugee from Ukraine. The killing, which authorities say occurred on a train, was widely circulated after surveillance video showed Zarutska being stabbed. Her family said in a statement they were heartbroken and demanded justice.
Authorities have said Brown is a repeat offender; media reports indicate prosecutors have also filed at least one federal charge in connection with the case. Former President Donald Trump publicly called for the death penalty for the suspected killer, and some Republican commentators seized on the case to criticize policies they describe as too lenient on people with criminal histories.
Dewitt pushed back against suggestions that race was a motive in the attack. She said Brown was "definitely not racist" and that he had "dated all kinds of girls." She told reporters she plans to visit her son in jail later this week and said she intends to listen to him and try to explain what has happened. Dewitt said she spoke with Brown by phone after his arrest and that he appeared convinced someone was "removing the chip from his brain" and that he believed he would be released soon. "I think he misunderstood. He said, 'Mama, I will see you later,'" she said.
Legal and mental-health experts say involuntary commitment requires either imminent danger or a court order, and family members often encounter high thresholds when seeking emergency psychiatric care for adults. Dewitt said she was told by providers that without explicit evidence of intent to harm, authorities could not hold Brown involuntarily.
The killing has prompted a swift public reaction in Charlotte and nationally, with advocacy groups and officials calling for a thorough investigation and for measures to protect transit riders. Local law enforcement said investigators are pursuing all leads and coordinating with federal authorities. Zarutska’s relatives released statements mourning her loss and calling for accountability.
Dewitt said she had hoped authorities or mental-health services would intervene before the situation escalated. "He shouldn't have been released," she said, describing her son's behavior as "too aggressive" in the period leading up to the stabbing.
A booking photo of the suspect was released by authorities following his arrest.
Investigations and legal proceedings are ongoing. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek the death penalty, and court records show Brown remains in custody as local and federal prosecutors review the case and evidence.