The man accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail train has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial on state murder charges, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

DeCarlos Brown Jr., 35, was evaluated at Central Regional Hospital and found "incapable to proceed" in a report dated December 29, 2025, per WCNC. His attorney, Daniel Roberts, filed a motion in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on April 7 asking a judge to delay a key pretrial hearing for 180 days, citing the mental competency finding and the fact that Brown is currently being held in federal custody on a separate but related federal indictment.

The designation does not mean Brown is released. According to attorney Tim Cannady, who is not involved in the case, defendants found incompetent are typically placed in a secure mental health facility where clinicians attempt to restore their ability to understand the proceedings and assist in their own defense. "I would imagine that he is eventually sent to some hospital or mental health institution in an attempt to either restore that capacity," Cannady told 12News.

The state competency ruling does not affect Brown's federal case, which is proceeding separately. A federal grand jury indicted Brown in October 2025 on charges of committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system, a charge that carries the possibility of the death penalty under special findings. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson confirmed to reporters that "the federal case against Decarlos Brown is separate from the state case, including any competency determination made as part of the state proceedings," per WRAL.

Zarutska was stabbed in an unprovoked attack on the CATS Blue Line on August 22, 2025, as she was returning home from her job at a Charlotte pizzeria where she worked while attending community college to improve her English. She had fled war-torn Ukraine seeking safety. The attack was captured on surveillance video and went viral, sparking national outrage and prompting North Carolina Governor Josh Stein to sign Iryna's Law, which took effect December 1, 2025. The law requires stricter scrutiny of bail decisions for defendants with mental health histories and felony records.

Brown had 14 prior arrests at the time of the attack and was free on cashless bail, released on a written promise to appear after a misuse of 911 call. His mother previously told media that he has schizophrenia.

Zarutska's family attorney Lauren Newton told reporters the family's focus remains on justice. "We have to let the justice system play out," Newton said. "The wheels of justice unfortunately move slow, but the family wants to make sure this is done right." Newton also noted that an estate has been opened for Zarutska as a preliminary step toward a potential wrongful death civil suit.

The state case is currently scheduled for a Rule 24 hearing on April 30, though Brown's attorneys are asking the court to delay it by six months.