Charlotte's Democrat Mayor Defends Killer Who Stabbed Young Woman to Death on Train

Charlotte’s Democrat Mayor Vi Lyles is facing mounting backlash after her response to the brutal killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Blue Line light rail train.

Instead of squarely condemning the attacker, Lyles initially defended the killer by pivoting to speculating about his “mental health struggles.”

“This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society’s safety nets related to mental health care and the systems that should be in place,” Lyles said in a statement sent to WCNC Charlotte.

“While I do not know the specifics of the man’s medical record, what I have come to understand is that he has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis.

“This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome.”

The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, has a lengthy criminal record spanning more than a decade, including robbery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, and breaking and entering.

He served over six years in prison and was arrested multiple times afterward.

Brown now faces a first-degree murder charge for fatally stabbing Zarutska.

The young woman had fled Ukraine’s war in 2022 and was working at a local pizzeria.

Critics blasted Lyles for what they saw as a soft-on-crime response.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused her of trying to hide the truth:

“This monster had a track record longer than a CVS receipt…

“By failing to properly punish him, Charlotte failed Iryna Zarutska and North Carolinians.

“This is totally unacceptable!”

Rep. Brenden Jones (R-NC) slammed Lyles after she issued a separate statement thanking the media for not sharing video of the attack:

“Charlotte’s Democrat mayor thanking the media for staying quiet about a tragic death shows exactly how Democrats in big cities try to cover up their crime problem.”

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) went further, urging residents to avoid Charlotte and calling for Lyles to resign.

“We don’t need more ‘compassion’ for sick and twisted criminals,” Norman said.

“They need jail sentences.

“And this one needs the death penalty.

“Mayor Lyles should resign.

“Her statements of concern for this assailant make her unfit to lead a major city.”

Even Democrat Gov. Josh Stein came under fire, but from the Trump White House.

After Stein called for more police presence, Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson shot back:

“He was arrested 14 times.

“The police did their jobs. You did not.

“And shame on you for trying to shift the blame.”

Facing pressure, Lyles shifted tone Monday, admitting “a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates” and acknowledging that repeat offenders are routinely released without consequence.

She announced increased security on Charlotte’s transit platforms and called for bipartisan reforms to close gaps in the justice system.

But for Zarutska’s grieving family and a shaken city, the mayor’s original response may be hard to forget.