Zarutska family sues Charlotte and security contractor over missing train guard

The relatives of Iryna Zarutska have filed a wrongful-death suit against the City of Charlotte and its transit security firm, alleging that the absence of a guard on the Lynx Blue Line train contributed to her fatal stabbing.

A year after Iryna Zarutska was murdered on a Charlotte Lynx Blue Line train, her estate has brought a wrongful-death action against the City of Charlotte and its private security provider, Professional Police Services Inc., doing business as Professional Security Services. The complaint alleges that longstanding failures within the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) left the rail line vulnerable, highlighting that no guard was aboard the train when Zarutska was stabbed on Aug. 22, 2025.

It asserts that the contractor was under-staffed, employing 183 of the 219 security positions funded for fiscal years 2025-2026, and fielding only 11 armed officers despite a contract provision for up to 39. The suit also accuses the city and contractor of inadequate fare enforcement, noting that the alleged perpetrator, Decarlos Brown Jr., rode without paying and that there were no physical barriers to prevent non-ticketed access.

The filing claims the city and contractor knew or should have known about recurring violent incidents on the Blue Line, making the crime foreseeable. Seeking damages exceeding $25,000 plus punitive damages, the family targets the security firm but not the city itself. Charlotte has declined comment on the pending litigation, and the security contractor has not responded to inquiries.