"I didn't even know he had mental problems" - Decarlos Brown Jr's brother believes Iryna Zarutska's murder could have been prevented

Decarlos Brown Jr's brother broke the silence about the horrifying incident in which Decarlos allegedly attacked and killed Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee. According to his 19-year-old brother, Decarlos should not have been free to roam around in the first place. The brother told The New York Post that he didn't even know that the accused had mental health issues.

In an exclusive conversation with The Post, the brother first blamed the system for the tragedy. He said,

"I think they could have pretty much prevented it then."

The brother particularly aimed at the system that freed Decarlos on cashless bail, even after he was taken into custody in January 2025. The brother, Jeremiah, further added,

"I didn't even know he had mental problems … You can't just let him walk free especially because of mental issues. He could do it again. They should still treat him for his mental issues but there are consequences for his actions."

According to The Post, Jeremiah and Decarlos shared a father, making them half brothers. Talking about the allegations against his brother, Jeremiah believed that the accused should face the consequences for his alleged actions. Jeremiah added that he had met Decarlos only once or twice and was shocked to see him in the news, connected to such a situation.

"They have a record of being in jail and stuff," said Jeremiah while talking about Decarlos Brown Jr's family

Further in the conversation with The New York Post, Jeremiah revealed more details about Decarlos and his background. As previously mentioned, Jeremiah claimed that he had met the accused in person, only once or twice; however, he gave remarks about the latter's family. Jeremiah said,

"He was on my father's side. They have a record of being in jail and stuff."

According to reports by The New York Post, their father, Decarlos Sr., as well as their older brother Stacey, have landed themselves in trouble with the law. The outlet reported that the father has been in jail serving his sentence of 27-36 years for the murder of Robert Heym in Charlotte, back in 2014.

According to reports by WBTV, Stacey and another man, Rodderick Derrick Crawford, were also linked to the incident and were the ones to shoot Heym to death. Jeremiah further told The Post that during the 2014 killing, he was in elementary school and saw his older brother on the news for something like this.

He compared it to the current scenario, which is very similar to it, and included Decarlos instead of Stacey. Jeremiah had confirmed that he was not in contact with his father.

Following the incident, Decarlos Brown Jr. was charged with first-degree murder by the Justice Department. A footage that went viral recently captured the chilling incident, in which Decarlos seemingly attacked Iryna Zarutska, while she was not even aware of the same.

The case is currently an ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, the internet has been filled up with opinions and takes from netizens all across the country, many of whom questioned why Decarlos was out of jail despite having a questionable record.