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Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is calling the fatal stabbing of a young woman on the city’s light rail system a “tragic situation” that underscores broader challenges with mental health and homelessness.
Police say 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was killed Friday night near the East/West light rail station in South End. Investigators say she was stabbed around 10:30 p.m. and later died from her injuries. Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, has been charged with first-degree murder. Authorities have not said what led to the attack.
According to a GoFundMe page set up for her family, Zarutska had recently fled Russia’s war on Ukraine and came to the U.S. to begin a new life.
In a statement Tuesday, Lyles did not mention the victim by name or discuss any specific measures the Charlotte Area Transit System or police are taking to address safety on public transit. She focused on the suspect and urged others not to demonize homeless people.
Lyles said the suspect appeared to have struggled with mental health and suffered a crisis. She said Charlotte and its transit system are “by and large" safe, but the incident highlights the need for stronger support systems.
“We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health,” Lyles said. "Mental health disease is just that — a disease like any other that needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease."
Lyles added that people living on the streets are more often the victims of crime than the perpetrators, and said she is committed to working with county officials, health care providers and community leaders to improve services.
The mayor's statement came a day after Charlotte city council members voiced concern about crime in the uptown area and on public transit at Monday night's city council meeting.
A 1 percentage point sales tax increase will be on the ballot in Mecklenburg County this November to fund expansion of CATS rail lines, bus service and other transit options, as well as improvements to local roads. Several city council members expressed concern that the high-profile killing could put the referendum in jeopardy.
Full statement from Mayor Vi Lyles:
First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the young woman’s family and friends.
This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society safety nets related to mental healthcare and the systems that should be in place. As we come to understand what happened and why, we must look at the entire situation. 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. While there are questions about the safety and security of our transit system and our city, I do know there have been significant and sustained efforts to address safety and security within our transit system and across our city.
Charlotte is by and large a safe city. CATS, by and large, is a safe transit system. However, tragic incidents like these should force us to look at what we are doing across our community to address root causes. We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health. I am committed to doing the hard work with Mecklenburg County, community leaders, health care service providers, and the private sector to ensure that Charlotte continues to be one of the best cities in the world, with the highest quality of life for everyone.
I want to be clear that I am not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused. Mental health disease is just that — a disease like any other that needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease. Our community must work to address the underlying issue of access to mental healthcare.
Also, those who are unhoused are more frequently the victim of crimes and not the perpetrators. Too many people who are on the street need a safe place to sleep and wrap around services to lift them up.
We, as a community, must do better for those members of our community who need help and have no place to go.
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