Charlotte train stabbing ends Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska’s pursuit of the 'American Dream'

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who had spent the last three years building a life in North Carolina, was remembered by friends, family, and coworkers as a deeply caring and driven young woman following her tragic death on August 22, as per a report.

Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Remembered After Tragic Charlotte Train Stabbing

Zarutska was fatally stabbed aboard a light-rail train in Charlotte while returning home from work at a local pizzeria, as per a People report. Authorities have arrested 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., who faces a first-degree murder charge and the US Justice Department has also charged him with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, as per the report.

Despite arriving in the US in August 2022, knowing limited English, Zarutska quickly formed strong bonds within her community, according to the People report. Her funeral last month was a testament to those connections. More than 100 people from the assisted living facility where she worked early on in Huntersville attended the service, her uncle told in the People report. Buses were arranged to bring residents to pay their respects, according to the report.


“She was the glue within the family,” her uncle said, describing how Zarutska, along with her mother and two younger siblings, had lived with him and his wife from the time they arrived in the US until May, as per the People report.

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Iryna Zarutska Was Building a New Life in America Through Hard Work

The family had fled from Ukraine and her uncle had helped them to get to US after he saq a photo of them huddled in a bomb shelter near their Kyiv apartment, as per the report. The uncle said, "What motivated us to get them out of Ukraine was seeing a picture of them huddled up in a bomb shelter near their apartment there in Kyiv," as quoted by People.

Her uncle shared that, "They didn't want to come to this country and be a burden," adding, "They wanted to come to this country to build a new life," as quoted in the report.

Zarutska embraced that new beginning. She quickly moved up the ranks at Zepeddies Pizzeria in Charlotte, going from an entry-level position to a line cook, as per the People report. In a public statement, the pizzeria called her an “incredible employee” and “true friend.” The owner was among those who attended her funeral, reported People.

Outside of work, Zarutska babysat, walked dogs, and took English classes at a community college to improve her language, as per the report. Her goal was to become a veterinary assistant. She had also been learning to drive, with help from her boyfriend. Her uncle said she had saved enough to buy her first car and was scheduled to get her driver’s license next month, as per the People report.

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In one of their last text exchanges, Zarutska told her uncle how proud she was to have bought a car and learned to drive, according to the report. Her uncle said, "The very first trip that she was going to make after getting her license was to drive and come visit my wife and I," as quoted by People.

Though the Russia-Ukraine war had weighed heavily on her, she remained focused on her goals, as per the report. Zarutska's uncle said, "She was just a very, very caring person," adding, "She loved to help people."

While the Ukrainan embassy offered to assist in bringing her remains back to her home country, but her uncle said that the family declined the offer, which he views as "profound" evidence she had fallen "so much in love with the American dream," as quoted in the People report.

FAQs

Who was Iryna Zarutska?
A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who moved to North Carolina in 2022 and worked hard to build a new life in the US, as per the People report.

How did she die?
She was fatally stabbed while riding a light-rail train in Charlotte on August 22, as per the People report.