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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

AMAZING MURAL OF UKRAINIAN MURDER VICTIM IRYNA ZARUTSKA GOES UP IN BROOKLYN AND INFURIATES PRO-CRIME JUNKIES

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime, News

4.28.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 February 2026

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A mural of murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has been vandalized and graffitied with spray paint.

"PLEASE VANDALIZE THIS,” the tagger scrawled.

The tribute had been complete for less than two weeks before the damage.

Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, came to the United States with her family to escape her war-torn country for a better life. Iryna took English classes, had a job and was making a productive life for herself, but all her aspirations were cut short by an unprovoked violent attack from a man with a criminal history.

Video shows Iryna getting on the train in Charlotte, North Carolina, taking a seat, and looking at her phone quietly. Video shows a passenger sitting directly behind Iryna, who we later came to know as Carlos Brown Jr.

A close-up of Brown's hands can be seen opening and unfolding the knife in order to prepare to stand up to stab Iryna. Although Iryna's hat covers a lot of her face, the shock in her eyes, along with the terror she silently expressed during her final moments of life, bleeding out, surrounded by panic, is heartbreaking to watch.

The video also shows Brown, in an orange hoodie, walking the aisles of the train with blood dripping on the floor. One passenger notices blood drops and avoids stepping in them, while another witness on the phone with 911 tells them a man just stabbed a woman for no reason, and she needs help.

Moments after allegedly stabbing Iryna, Brown is captured on video nonchalantly walking the platform of the train station.

On the train, Brown was wearing a hoodie; now he is wearing a black t-shirt, with the now bloody hoodie wrapped around his hands.

In reaction to the shocking and violent death of Iryna Zarutska, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein just signed "Iryna's Law" into effect, increasing checks on criminals getting out on bail and prohibiting cashless bail for some violent crimes and most repeat offenders.

A grand jury indicted Brown for the murder of Iryna, formally charging him with first-degree murder. Brown is being held without bond in the county jail, but an order was filed for him to be committed to Central Regional Hospital.

Allegedly, he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and also has a lengthy rap sheet of criminal behavior.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

  • Randy Kessler - Atlanta Trial Lawyer, Emory Law School Professor, Past Chair ABA Family Law Section, Author of "Divorce, Protect Yourself, Your Kids and Your Future;" Instagram: @rkessler23, X: @GADivorce
  • Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice  
  • Andy Kahan - Director of Victim Services and Advocacy at Crime Stoppers of Houston; Facebook: "Andy Kahan and Crime Stoppers of Houston;" X: @AKahanCrimeSto1; Instagram: AndyVictimAdvocate  
  • Ron Bateman - Former Homicide Detective, Former Undercover Narcotics Agent, Former Sheriff; Author of Crime Fiction Series, “Silent Blue Tears." and “Opposing Sides: Memoirs of a Drug Dealer and a Detective," with Co-author Billy Joe Nichols (coming soon!); TikTok: @Ron.Bateman.655
  • Dr. Thomas Coyne - Chief Medical Examiner, District 2 Medical Examiner's Office, State of Florida; Forensic Pathologist, Neuropathologist, and Toxicologist; X: @DrTMCoyne
  • Susan Hendricks - Journalist, Author: “Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi;" IG @susan_hendricks X @SusanHendicks  
  • Dave Mack - Crime Stories, Investigative Reporter 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is an I-Heart podcast.

0:02.3

Guaranteed Human.

0:04.6

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

0:11.6

A gorgeous mural of the murdered Ukrainian arena Zerutska goes up in Brooklyn, and for some reason, people are angry?

0:25.2

You recall when Arena was stabbed dead on a light rail bus.

0:31.8

She was just sitting there minding her own business, looking at her phone,

0:35.5

when the perp stood up up towering behind her and stabbed

0:39.0

her dead. And don't worry, everyone leaped from their seats and began videoing the entire thing

0:47.2

on their cell phones. Thanks for helping people, not. But how in the world are people angry about a mural depicting this gorgeous victim

0:59.0

beautiful on the inside and the outside? I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you

1:05.7

for being with us. A beautiful new mural of the murdered Ukrainian, Irina Zerutska, popped up on the side of a Brooklyn building.

1:18.6

And for some reason, people are claiming it's part of a right-wing plot.

1:24.7

Haven't they heard about crime victims' rights? It's a three-story painting of

1:30.5

Arena. She made national headlines when she was stabbed dead by an ex-con on a Charlotte

1:37.9

light rail train. The mural was painted on the side of an apartment building in a trendy section of Bushwick,

1:52.0

just a few weeks ago.

1:55.0

The artwork is on the corner of Jefferson Ave and Evergreen, and it's part of a campaign launched by a tech CEO,

2:03.6

Egan McCabe, to honor the 23-year-old artist with murals depicting her, and they're going to be in several

2:14.6

cities advancing victims' rights.

2:19.3

Why are people so angry? I don't understand that.

2:23.3

Because this is what happens.

2:25.3

This is Charlotte 911. One day need to fire a medic.

...

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