by David Lindfield
Charlotte’s Democrat Mayor Vi Lyles is facing mounting backlash after her response to the brutal killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Blue Line light rail train.
Instead of squarely condemning the attacker, Lyles initially defended the killer by pivoting to speculating about his “mental health struggles.”
“This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society’s safety nets related to mental health care and the systems that should be in place,” Lyles said in a statement sent to WCNC Charlotte.
“While I do not know the specifics of the man’s medical record, what I have come to understand is that he has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis.
“This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome.”
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, has a lengthy criminal record spanning more than a decade, including robbery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, and breaking and entering.
He served over six years in prison and was arrested multiple times afterward.
Brown now faces a first-degree murder charge for fatally stabbing Zarutska.
The young woman had fled Ukraine’s war in 2022 and was working at a local pizzeria.
Critics blasted Lyles for what they saw as a soft-on-crime response.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused her of trying to hide the truth:
“This monster had a track record longer than a CVS receipt…