Brown had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered hallucinations and paranoia, his sister Tracey Brown said. She said her brother told her multiple times the government had implanted a chip in him.

“I knew he was battling something, but I wanted to know what it was,” she said.

Brown was sometimes aggressive and attacked his sister in 2022, Tracey Brown told CNN. Though her brother was arrested that night, she decided to drop the charges out of concern for his mental health issues.

But it wasn’t Brown’s only run-in with the law. He has several convictions on his record, including for armed robbery, felony larceny and breaking and entering.

Brown spent more than five years behind bars for robbery with a dangerous weapon, state records show. After he was released in 2020, he “didn’t seem like himself” and struggled to hold conversations and jobs, his sister told CNN.

Their mother had tried to get him placed in a long-term facility, Tracey Brown told CNN, but her attempts failed because she wasn’t his guardian. She said she talked to her brother after his arrest and asked him why he attacked the woman on the train.

“Because she was reading my mind,” he told her.

His January release stokes controversy

Earlier this year, Brown was charged with misuse of 911, a class 1 misdemeanor, after he allegedly asked officers to investigate a “man-made” material that controlled when he ate, walked and talked, court documents state.

Officers told Brown “the issue was a medical issue,” and there was nothing more they could do. Brown became upset and called 911, the records state.

A condition of his release was his written promise to appear for his next hearing, according to court records. The White House said his release left him “free to slaughter an innocent woman just months later.”

CNN has reached out to Brown’s public defender, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office and the magistrate judge who ordered his release for comment.

Mecklenburg County Chief District Court Judge Roy Wiggins said he would be reviewing local bond policy as a result of the case, according to a letter addressed to North Carolina’s Republican Congressional delegation and obtained by CNN affiliate WBTV.

Wiggins also wrote he would evaluate to make sure procedures were followed properly.

Wiggins’ letter was in response to a Tuesday request by North Carolina’s Congressional delegation calling for the removal of the magistrate judge who allowed Brown’s release.

“Furthermore, I, along with other leaders in our system, intend to continue to educate our magistrates on the impact of their decisions regarding pretrial conditions of release as set out in NCGS 15A-535.”

Even though Charlotte’s mid-year stats show a 25% decrease in violent crime compared to the same time last year, Trump said North Carolina needs reform.

“North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it!,” Trump said on Truth Social.

The refugee had ‘a heart of gold’

From Ukraine to the US, those who knew Zarutska said she brimmed with potential. The talented artist quickly became fluent in English, found work at a pizzeria and dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant.

Zarutska graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in art and restoration, her obituary says.

“She shared her creativity generously, gifting family and friends with her artwork. She loved sculpting and designing unique, eclectic clothing that reflected her vibrant spirit.”

Zarutska “also had a deep love for animals,” the tribute states. “She often cared for her neighbors’ pets, and many fondly remember seeing her walking them through the neighborhood, always with her radiant smile.”

She attended Rowan-Cabarrus Community College from 2023 to 2025, a spokesperson told CNN. She was also a beloved coworker at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria.

“We lost not only an incredible employee, but a true friend,” the restaurant posted on social media. “Iryna, we miss you more than words can say.”

Despite the horrors of war in her home country, Zarutska “just had a heart of gold,” a family friend told CNN affiliate WCNC.

“She was always very helpful, very supportive,” said the friend, identified only as Lonnie. “She was a sweetheart. And it makes me sick to think that she’s gone.”

Lonnie described the daily bombing Zarutska endured in Ukraine and the agony of not knowing “if you’re going to live or breathe another day.” But no one expected Zarutska to die so young in Charlotte. “It’s very, very sickening and sad that we have such evil in our society today,” Lonnie said.

Zarutska was a kind, hardworking young woman who had built a new life in Charlotte, her family said in a statement.

“We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way,” a family spokesperson said. “No family should have to go through this.”

The grieving family is now demanding change, citing a “lack of visible or effective security” on the Charlotte Area Transportation System Blue Line. CNN has reached out to CATS for comment.

The family also called for a full investigation into her death, for city officials to enact reforms and for the media to stop spreading footage of the stabbing.

“This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night,” the family said. “We are committed to making sure this never happens again.”