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GoFundMe said that it removed multiple fundraising campaigns created on behalf of Decarlos Brown Jr., the ex-convict accused of stabbing and killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte, North Carolina, light-rail train.
“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime. Consistent with this long-standing policy, all fundraisers for Decarlos Brown Jr.’s legal defense have been removed from the platform, and any donors have been fully refunded,” a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
According to information reviewed by Fox News Digital, the campaigns were taken down within hours of being flagged. GoFundMe declined to specify how many pages were removed but emphasized that it actively scans for and blocks attempts to launch campaigns on behalf of individuals facing violent charges.
The company’s action followed social media backlash over the fundraisers, with critics turning to social media to lambaste the fundraiser for the murder suspect as “an insult” to the 23-year-old victim.
CHILLING VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE UKRAINIAN REFUGEE STABBED TO DEATH ON CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL
Zarutska, 23, fled Ukraine with her family in 2022 to escape Russia’s war before settling in Charlotte, according to her obituary. She was working at a local pizzeria, Zepeddie’s Pizza, at the time of her death. Fox News Digital has reached out to Zepeddie’s for comment.
“Recently, our Zepeddie’s family suffered a tremendous loss. We lost not only an incredible employee but a true friend. Our dear Iryna left this world far too soon, and our hearts are heavy with grief. Since her passing, we have kept a candle burning in her memory—a small reminder of the warmth, kindness and light she brought into our lives every single day. We are so grateful for the love, support and prayers we’ve received during this difficult time,” Zepeddie’s Pizza said in a statement. “Iryna, we miss you more than words can say. You will forever be in our hearts.”
UKRAINIAN WOMAN WHO FLED WAR STABBED TO DEATH AT CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL STATION
Her family described Zarutska as a passionate artist and graduate of Synergy College in Kyiv, where she earned a degree in Art and Restoration. She was remembered for her creativity, her love of animals, her determination and her eagerness to learn.
WATCH: Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death on Charlotte light rail
On Aug. 22, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, authorities found Zarutska stabbed to death on the Lynx Blue Line after she sat in front of Brown, who allegedly pulled out a folding knife and attacked her without provocation.
Surveillance video reviewed by Fox News Digital shows Zarutska boarding the train just after 9:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. Wearing her pizzeria uniform, she is seen scrolling on her phone as a man in a red hoodie sits behind her.
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Around four minutes later, the man pulls out a knife and begins stabbing Zarutska three times, including in the neck. According to the affidavit, Zarutska was stabbed in the middle of her throat.
He is charged with first-degree murder under North Carolina law and is being held without bond.
Records obtained by Fox News Digital reveal that Brown has a lengthy criminal history spanning more than a decade. His convictions include larceny and breaking and entering in 2013, as well as a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon, for which he served more than six years in prison. He was released in 2020 and remained on parole until 2021. More recent charges included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year.
While campaigns to raise money for Brown’s defense have been shut down, a separate, verified fundraiser supporting Zarutska’s family remains active on GoFundMe.
The stabbing death on public transportation has renewed calls for increased public safety across cities in America.
President Donald Trump mentioned the stabbing during remarks at the Museum of the Bible.
“We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said. “And we have to confront that. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman.”
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
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