News
1 year later: The lasting impact of Iryna Zarutska’s murder
One year after Iryna Zarutska’s killing shocked the nation, her case has sparked sweeping NC reforms while the accused killer awaits trial.
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CATS audit finds millions in lost fares, security concerns
State auditors say CATS loses up to $6.5 million annually to fare evasion while raising concerns about security, policing and safety spending.
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Federal case in Charlotte light rail killing delayed after hearing
The federal case against Decarlos Brown Jr. will be put on hold after a judge agreed Tuesday that Brown is not competent to stand trial in connection with the 2025 killing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail line.
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Brown faces June 9 competency hearing in federal case
Lawyers for Decarlos Brown Jr. are seeking a hearing and a finding of mental incompetence in the federal case linked to Iryna Zarutska’s 2025 stabbing death on Charlotte’s light rail line.
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Hearing in Zarutska killing officially bumped back to October
A court hearing originally scheduled this week in the murder case involving Iryna Zarutska’s death on Charlotte’s light rail line has been rescheduled for Oct. 27.
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Brown found ‘incapable to proceed’ on Iryna Zarutska murder charge
Decarlos Brown Jr., the man who allegedly fatally stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in the neck on Aug. 22 on Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line, has been found “incapable to proceed” on the state murder charge against him.
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Federal audit flags safety risks on Charlotte public transit
Federal audit finds safety failures at Charlotte Area Transit System, citing poor risk management, worker safety, rising violence, and 18 violations.
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Murders fuel debate over bail, mental health policy in NC
The recent murders of Iryna Zarutska, Charlotte, and Zoe Welsh, Raleigh, have brought scrutiny over how NC’s criminal justice system handles such cases and what can be done to improve the system to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
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Feds charge suspect in Charlotte light rail stabbing
DOJ charges twice-deported Honduran illegal Oscar Solarzano-Garcia for stabbing a 24-year-old on Charlotte’s light rail, including re-entry and transit violence.
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Grand jury indicts Decarlos Brown in Charlotte light-rail killing
A federal grand jury has indicted Decarlos Brown Jr. in the Aug. 22 fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line light-rail train.
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Stein signs Iryna’s Law into law but says it doesn’t go far enough
While Stein signed Iryna’s Law into law, he also scolded the General Assembly, saying that the bill doesn't do enough to keep people safe and that they should come back to Raleigh to pass his public safety package and fully fund Medicaid.
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Families fault judicial system at tense Charlotte hearing
In a Charlotte field hearing of the US House Judiciary Committee Monday, lawmakers clashed over how to address violent crime, while victims' families blamed system failures.
