The Man Who Had Been Released 14 Times Gave a Chilling Explanation for the Train Tragedy… as He Spoke for the First Time About the Act That Shocked America — But What Left the Public Even More Chilled Was in His First Call to His Sister

It was supposed to be an ordinary summer night in Charlotte. Passengers boarded the light rail, phones in hand, tired from work, waiting to get home. But within minutes, one of those rides became the center of a national conversation.

At the heart of the tragedy is 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska — a young woman who came to America searching for safety and a chance to rebuild her life. And opposite her story stands 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, the man accused of bringing it all to an end.

For weeks, the public knew only what they had seen in security footage and police records. But now, Brown’s own voice has been heard — in a phone call from jail, recorded by his younger sister. And what he said has left the country stunned.

“I Don’t Even Know Her”

On August 28, six days after his arrest, Brown called his sister, Tracey. She recorded their conversation, and the audio, later shared with the press, has been described as nothing short of haunting.

“I hurt my hand that night. I don’t even know the lady,” the man can be heard saying. “That’s scary, ain’t it? Why would somebody do something like that for no reason?”

When pressed, he spoke of “materials inside his body” that he believed were controlling him. He referred to himself in the third person. He insisted he had no control.

And when Tracey asked him directly why it was Iryna, his voice dropped lower. “They lashed out on her,” he said. “Whoever was working those materials — they chose her.”

From Protective Brother to a Man Behind Bars

Tracey remembers her brother differently. To her, he was once the protective older sibling who helped shield her from an abusive stepfather. But over time, she says, something changed.

“When he came home from prison, he wasn’t the same,” she explained. “He became distant. Sometimes he’d stop mid-sentence, stare into space, and say something about a microchip. It was like he was drifting further and further from reality.”

She believes her brother was crying out for help. He called 911. He went to hospitals. He asked to be admitted for psychiatric care. Each time, he was released within 24 hours.

“I strongly feel like he should not have been on the streets,” Tracey said. “I don’t blame anyone except the system. He was a high risk. He was not in his right mind. He wasn’t safe for society — and he wasn’t safe for himself.”

Who Was Iryna?

To understand the depth of this tragedy, one must know who Iryna was.

Born and raised in Ukraine, she had lived through the anxiety and disruption of war. In 2022, she and her family sought refuge in the United States. Her relatives say she dreamed of nothing more than peace, safety, and a chance to start again.

Before leaving her homeland, she had graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv, with a degree in Art and Restoration. Friends recall her as a gifted artist who sculpted, painted, and even designed clothing. She shared her creations freely, giving them as gifts to loved ones.

“She had a vibrant spirit, a deep love for animals, and she wanted to become a veterinary assistant,” her family said. “She would often walk her neighbors’ pets, always with a radiant smile.”

Nine days before her final journey, she posted a photo of Charlotte’s skyline to her social media. She captioned it with a message of hope for “a new beginning.”

Now, her family calls her death “an irreparable loss.”

A History of Warnings

Records show that long before the tragedy, Brown’s behavior had raised alarms. He had a criminal record, including armed robbery. He spent years in and out of prison. But more troubling were the repeated warnings about his mental health.

He called 911 multiple times to report that his brain was being controlled by a microchip. Police once arrested him for misusing the emergency line. A judge later ordered psychiatric testing, but the process was delayed — for more than a year.

Tracey said: “He begged for help. He was crying out. And no one listened. Now an innocent woman is gone.”

She recalls one night in January when he was taken before a magistrate. Instead of being held, he was released on a written promise to return to court. “They pushed his evaluation back for 18 months,” she said. “He never should have been free to walk around.”

A City Demands Answers

The tragedy has sparked outrage in Charlotte and beyond. For some, it is proof that public safety has failed. For others, it is a damning indictment of a mental health system that is stretched too thin.

“How many warnings do you need?” one community activist asked. “He called 911. He went to hospitals. His own family said he wasn’t safe. And still he was free.”

The city’s leaders now face tough questions. Could this have been prevented? Who should be held accountable? And how many more people must fall through the cracks before change comes?

The Call That Haunts

For Tracey, one memory stands above the rest: that call from jail.

“When he said he didn’t even know her — that shook me,” she admitted. “When he said she was reading his mind — that chilled me. And when he said the materials lashed out on her — that’s when I realized how far gone he was.”

The public agrees. The call, now widely reported, has left America divided. Some see it as evidence of insanity. Others see it as a chilling excuse for an inexcusable act.

But no one who has heard it can forget it.

The Family’s Loss

Meanwhile, Iryna’s loved ones are left to grieve. They speak of her as a “gifted and passionate artist,” someone who loved adventure but also cherished time at home with family.

“She had so much to give, and she gave it freely,” her mother recalled. “She dreamed of a future here. She was learning English so quickly. She wanted to work with animals. She wanted to live.”

Now, they are left with memories, photographs, and artwork that will never be added to. “She shared her creativity generously,” they wrote in her obituary. “She gifted us her art. She gifted us her smile.”

Could It Have Been Stopped?

That is the question haunting Charlotte — and America.

How many warnings must go unheeded before action is taken? How many families must pay the price for systemic failure? And how many dreams — like Iryna’s — must end before real reform begins?

The man accused of causing this tragedy sits in Mecklenburg County Jail, awaiting his day in court. His sister says she still loves him, but she also blames the state for letting him down.

“He was asking and crying for help,” she said. “No one listened. Now, an innocent woman is dead. I blame the system for not stepping in.”

A Nation Divided

The story has become more than a crime. It is a mirror held up to a nation.

On one side, a family grieving the loss of a daughter who came here seeking hope. On the other, a sister who insists her brother was abandoned by the system long before he abandoned reality.

And in between — a city that must decide whether it is willing to accept more tragedies, or whether this will finally be the moment that forces change.

Final Words

For America, the tragedy of August 22 is not just about one man, one woman, or one train ride. It is about the promises made — and broken — by the systems meant to protect us.

It is about how easily warning signs can be ignored. It is about the thin line between safety and chaos. And it is about a young woman, Iryna, who dreamed of a future that will never come.

As one mourner said at a vigil in Charlotte:
“She escaped war to find peace. Instead, she found this. And we are left asking: how could we let it happen?”