President Donald Trump said during his State of the Union address that a man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte had come “in through open borders.”
That is not true.
DeCarlos Brown, 34, of Charlotte is accused in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was living in Charlotte when she was killed in August on a light rail train.
Zarutska’s mother was an unannounced guest of Trump’s in the audience at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night.
“We are honored to be joined tonight by a woman who has been through hell,” Trump said.
He described her daughter as a “beautiful young woman.”
“Last summer, 23-year-old Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body.”
Erika Kirk, left, widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, looks on as Anna Zarutska, the mother of Iryna Zarutska, is recognized by US President Donald Trump during the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS AFP via Getty Images
On Aug. 22, Zarutska boarded the Lynx Blue Line at the Scaleybark station and sat down in front of 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown, who almost immediately stabbed her. When video of her death became public, it became a national story and one Republicans have seized on to attack North Carolina Democrats for being soft on crime.
At the time, Brown was out of jail without bail on charges of misusing the 911 system.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/TNS) Andrew Harnik TNS
But Tuesday night, Trump got a key fact wrong about Brown.
“She had escaped a brutal war only to be slain by a hardened criminal set free to be killed in America,” Trump said, adding, “Came in through open borders.”
The Charlotte Observer previously reported that Brown was born in Charlotte, according to his Facebook page.
His mother told The Charlotte Observer he graduated from West Mecklenburg High School. He worked at a local Subway.
She also told the newspaper that her son suffered from schizophrenia and said the system failed him. She and her husband tried to get their son mental health treatment but repeatedly were turned away.
Trump vowed to get justice for Zarutska.
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email [email protected].
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 11:40 PM.
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Danielle Battaglia
McClatchy DC
Danielle Battaglia is the D.C. correspondent for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, leading coverage of North Carolina’s congressional delegation and elections. She also covers the White House. Her career has spanned three North Carolina newsrooms where she has covered crime, courts and local, state and national politics. She has won two McClatchy President’s awards and numerous national and state awards for her work.
