Democratic Rep. Alma Adams, who represents Charlotte in Congress, is defending the city’s cashless bail system amid national outcry following the brutal murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, allegedly by a mentally ill repeat offender who had been released from jail months earlier.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, a homeless man with a long criminal record and diagnosed schizophrenia, was arrested after allegedly fatally stabbing Zarutska on the Lynx Blue Line light rail on the night of August 22.
Surveillance footage captured the horrifying attack, which shows Brown pacing the train with a bloodied knife after stabbing the woman multiple times without provocation.
Decarlos Brown Jr. remains in custody and faces murder charges. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether prosecutors will pursue an insanity defense or if Brown will undergo further psychological evaluation.
What was Alma Adam’s statement?
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Congresswoman Adams pushed back against President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of the city’s bail policies, saying incarceration alone would not have prevented the tragedy.
“You can’t solve everything by putting people in jail,” said Adams. “We can’t jail our way out of some of the situations that are going on.”
Trump had sharply condemned the system, adding that Brown had been arrested 14 times and released on cashless bail before the fatal attack.
“What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be locked up,” Trump said during a recent statement on public safety.
But Rep. Adams rejected that approach, framing the stabbing as a failure of mental health intervention, not the bail system.
“I don’t necessarily agree with the president about the cash bail,” Adams said. “We can’t overlook the illnesses that people have, and especially mental illness.”
Adams argued that mental health care, not stricter detention policies, is the key to preventing similar tragedies.
She added that while violent offenders should be addressed, mental illness is “connected” to the issue and must be treated as a root cause.
“If there are mental health issues, we need to put more support there, which we have not done,” she said.
Decarlos Brown Jr’s brother’s statement
Zarutska, who fled Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, had resettled in Charlotte to start a new life.
Her murder has created an outrage, especially after it was revealed that her accused killer had a long history of violence and was known to local authorities.
Jeremiah Brown, the 19-year-old half-brother of the suspect, spoke out publicly this week, blaming the justice system for releasing someone with a known mental illness and violent past.
“You can’t just let him walk free, especially because of mental issues,” Jeremiah told The New York Post. “I think they could have pretty much prevented it.”
Jeremiah, who said he only met Decarlos “once or twice,” confirmed a family history of violence.
Their father, Decarlos Brown Sr., and another brother, Stacey Brown, have both served time for violent crimes. Stacey is currently in prison for a 2014 murder.
Jeremiah acknowledged the family’s troubled past and said he was “shocked” to see Decarlos Jr. on the news.
Funding for mental health initiatives
Rep. Adams’ comments come amid questions over the effectiveness of North Carolina’s recent mental health funding, which included $835 million in the 2023–2025 budget.
That package included nearly $100 million specifically allocated to help formerly incarcerated individuals.
At the time, state Democrats touted the funding as historic.
However, Adams suggested that the money may not be reaching the right people. “There are lots of services that can be provided… but a lot of the dollars are being filtered out,” she said, without offering further details.
When pressed on why Brown had been arrested 14 times without sufficient intervention, Adams responded, “We have to deal with where people are.”
“Violent criminals, yes, we need to address that,” she added. “But we also have to address a lot of what’s going on today. The mental health is connected, it seems to me.”
The congresswoman called Zarutska’s death, “a terrible situation” and said she has prayed for the young woman’s family.
She also criticised Trump for politicising the tragedy. “The stabbing occurred in August,” she said. “His recent comments are probably political for various reasons.”