A viral X post has revealed that Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released DeCarlos Brown Jr. before he fatally stabbed Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, also holds a leadership role at a Charlotte treatment facility
The stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee in a random attack on a train has triggered uproar over crime in the US.
Iryna Zarutska, 23, had fled Kyiv and settled in Charlotte, North Carolina, before the stabbing on Aug 22.
Surveillance footage released by the Charlotte Area Transit System shows the young woman boarding the train and taking a seat in front of the suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr.
The 34-year-old homeless man has a history of mental health problems, arrests and convictions.
The footage shows Brown appearing agitated and restless in his seat as Ms Zarutska sits in front of him wearing her pizzeria uniform.
Five minutes into her journey, Brown pulls out a fold-out pocket knife, stands up, and swings his arm high before allegedly stabbing her three times in the neck.
Ms Zarutska collapsed in her seat and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Subsequent clips show the attacker moving down the train car, walking in circles, and removing his bloody hoodie before leaving the train. The pocket knife was recovered near the platform.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and renewed scrutiny of the city’s criminal justice system
Following the incident, a report revealed that the suspect, DeCarlos Brown Jr. has a criminal history and was released despite being arrested 14 times.
Now, in a major update, Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes is under scrutiny after an X (formerly known as Twitter) post surfaced on the internet.
Controversy is growing after revelations that Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, the same judge who most recently released DeCarlos Brown Jr. before the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, is also the director of operations at a Charlotte-based treatment facility.
The connection has raised serious connection has raised serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the broader failures of the justice system.
