Iryna Zarutska’s Family Speaks Out, Says She Was Head Over Heels for ‘The American Dream’ Before Her Murder
Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who arrived in the United states in August 2022 with her mother and siblings too build a new life, was tragically stabbed to death in Charlotte, North Carolina.Decarlos Brown Jr. has been charged with her murder. Zarutska’s family, deeply affected by the loss, emphasized that she was hardworking, caring, and committed to pursuing the american dream. They declined an offer to repatriate her body to Ukraine, reflecting her strong connection to her new home. A vigil was held in Charlotte to honour her memory, with supporters highlighting concerns about systemic issues they believe contributed to her death, including the handling of violent criminals. Near the site of her murder, a memorial with flowers and candles has appeared, symbolizing the community’s mourning and sense of failure to protect her.
The murder of Iryna Zarutska cut short her love affair with America, family members say.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee was stabbed to death in August. Decarlos Brown Jr. has been charged in her death.
Zarutska’s uncle, who asked that his name not be used, said the victim, mother, and two younger siblings arrived from Kyiv in August 2022, according to People.
“What motivated us to get them out of Ukraine was seeing a picture of them huddled up in a bomb shelter near their apartment there in Kyiv,” her uncle said.
“They didn’t want to come to this country and be a burden,” he said. “They wanted to come to this country to build a new life.”
He noted that Zarutska worked from the moment she arrived in North Carolina.
“She was just a very, very caring person,” he said. “She loved to help people.”
He said the fact that her family turned aside an offer from Ukraine to have her body brought back there for burial was significant.
He said it was “profound” evidence she was “so much in love with the American dream.”
A vigil to remember a life cut short was to be held in Charlotte on Friday, according to WCNC-TV.
“Her death is not just the result of one man’s knife, it is the result of a system that values ideology over safety,” a group called Survivors Outreach, which is helping to sponsor the vigil, said. “It is the result of prosecutors who keep letting violent criminals out.”
“Iryna Zarutska deserved better,” the group said. “She deserved safety. She deserved protection. She deserves to be remembered.”
“She was a daughter. She’s a sister. She has a little brother. She has a little sister. She loved animals. She was here trying to live the American dream,” Lauren Newton, the family’s attorney, said.
Near the place on Charlotte’s light rail system where she was killed, an impromptu memorial to her has sprung up, according to WCNC-TV.
On note amid the flowers and candles read, “We failed you Iryna. Rest in peace.”
“Seeing the flowers and the photos, it is beautiful… but somewhat haunting at the same time,” Charlotte resident Liam Ellis said.
“Seeing someone who was trying to make the best of their life now just as a photo, no longer here,” Ellis said.
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