Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery and larceny dating back to 2007. But a Charlotte magistrate set him free with a « written promise » to appear in court.
The deranged homeless man charged with butchering a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte train was free on cashless bail after a magistrate released him with just a “written promise” to show up for court — despite a nearly two-decade history of violence and mental illness.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery and larceny dating back to 2007.
His own mother told local TV station WSOC that her son was schizophrenic and should never have been allowed to roam the streets.
But, Brown was a free man right up until the moment cops said he viciously stabbed Iryna Zarutska in an unprovoked and cowardly sneak attack as she rode the train home from her job at a local pizzeria.
Horrifying video of the Aug. 22 incident — which sparked nationwide outrage when it emerged last weekend — shows Brown seated on the train before Zarutska boards and takes a seat in front of him — her blonde locks tucked underneath a nondescript black baseball cap.
She busies herself with her phone as Brown, wearing a red sweatshirt, unfolds a pocket knife a few seconds before looming over her and plunging several fatal stabs into the diminutive woman’s neck.
