CHARLOTTE — DeCarlos Brown, the man accused of killing Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail in August 2025, was found incompetent to stand trial in federal court Tuesday.
Lauren Newton, the Zarutska family attorney, said Tuesday’s decision was not unexpected, and she and Iryna’s family remain hopeful that justice will be served.
“We have confidence that his capacity will be restored so he can stand trial for what he did to Iryna,” Newton said.
Channel 9’s Hunter Saenz was in federal court Tuesday morning where Judge Kenneth Bell ordered Brown to undergo treatment to try to restore his competency, so he can stand trial in the future.
Cameras weren’t allowed in court, but Saenz sat two rows directly behind Brown. At multiple points during the hearing, there were outbursts where Brown asked the judge if he had the same paperwork that he had. He also spoke of material in his body, saying “the FBI refused to investigate, and I want the media to know that.”
At the end of the hearing, he yelled out to the judge, “My mom got a letter for you, too, and I want to press charges against the judge.”
Brown has a history of mental health issues. He was sent to a prison in Chicago for days of evaluation by a specialized psychiatric team. They believe he can be restored to stand trial by being treated with medication.
After the hearing, Channel 9 spoke with U.S. Attorney for the Western District Russ Ferguson, who was in court Tuesday.
“This is a step in this process. This is not the end of this case,” he said. “Mr. Brown will be committed to treatment and potentially medication. He will be detained the whole time in federal custody, and we’ll have another hearing in four months, if not before, to determine if he can be made competent for trial, which the prognosis is good.”
If Brown refuses medical treatment, another hearing will be held to determine if forced treatment should be used. If Brown is found incapable to stand trial in the future, he will likely be civilly committed because of his mental health issues.
Brown is charged with committing an act of violence causing death on mass transit.
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