The homeless man accused of stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina light-rail train has been deemed incompetent to stand trial in his state case, but federal authorities vowed the decision will not impact their own case against him.

Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged with fatally stabbing Zarutska while the pair were aboard the light-rail Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte on Aug. 22, 2025. 

In court documents filed earlier this week and obtained by Fox News, Brown’s attorney revealed a Central Regional Hospital evaluation determined his client was "incapable to proceed" in his upcoming state criminal trial, effectively halting prosecution. 

However, authorities within the Department of Justice have revealed the ruling is "completely separate" from Brown’s federal proceedings, according to the U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

"I had a great call this morning with our U.S. Attorney in Charlotte," Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon federal case against Brown, who remains in federal custody, according to Dhillon.

In lieu of the delay in Brown’s state proceedings, officials must conduct a separate psychiatric evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial – a process that cannot be initiated while he is in federal custody, according to court documents. 

Surveillance video shows Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, entering the train car and taking a seat in front of Brown. 

Approximately four minutes later, Brown allegedly pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed her three times before walking off the train.

He was taken into custody moments later on the light-rail platform, while Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Brown, a parolee with multiple documented run-ins with the law, has a long reported history of mental illness, according to family members.

By March 2024, authorities had logged six prior encounters with Brown, including multiple welfare checks triggered by his repeated 911 calls, the Daily Mail.

"They just lashed out on her, that's what happened," Brown said. "Whoever was working the materials they lashed out on her. That's all there is to it. Now they really gotta investigate what my body was exposed to... Now they gotta do an investigation as to who was the motive behind what happened."

Brown remains in federal custody while he awaits trial on both state and federal charges. 

The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.