Crime
Family Ties to Violence: Half-Brother of Iryna Zarutska Accused Killer Previously Convicted in 2012 Murder of 65-Year-Old Robert Heym
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The family history of violence tied to the suspect accused in the killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has drawn renewed attention to a broader cycle of crime and tragedy.
Authorities confirm that Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, who is charged with fatally stabbing Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light rail train on August 22, has a half-brother with his own history of deadly violence.
Court records show that Stacey Dejon Brown, 22, pleaded guilty in 2012 to the murder of Robert Heym, 65, who was shot in the face while walking home from work. The killing occurred during a robbery on October 2012, in which Brown and accomplice Rodderick Derrick Crawford confronted Heym.
Investigators said Brown’s girlfriend at the time provided key information, telling police that Brown had placed the murder weapon — a sawed-off shotgun — inside her backpack before attempting to hide it. She also told detectives Brown admitted, “I shot the guy,” after the victim resisted.
Police recovered Heym’s cell phone near the Scaleybark light rail station, underscoring how the city’s transit system was again central to a violent crime. Officers responding to nearby gunfire found Heym fatally wounded.
In Mecklenburg County court, Stacey Brown pled guilty to second-degree murder, two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and breaking or entering a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 27 to 36 years in prison.
The case was linked to additional incidents:
In July 2012, Brown participated in breaking into vehicles in a Charlotte parking garage.
One day before Heym’s murder, Brown, Crawford, and Joshwah Townsend robbed another man on West Boulevard. During the robbery, Brown held a shotgun while Townsend took the victim’s belongings. When the victim attempted to flee, Brown shot him in the back. That victim survived with serious injuries.Both accomplices later accepted plea agreements. Crawford pled guilty to two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and awaits sentencing. Townsend pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and received a sentence of 17 to 33 months.
The Browns’ history of violent offenses is not isolated. Family members have described a long pattern of legal troubles spanning multiple generations, including arrests involving weapons, break-ins, and other felonies. Some relatives have cited untreated mental illness, including schizophrenia, as a contributing factor.
Community advocates say the tragedy highlights a larger cycle of violence that continues to devastate families and neighborhoods. “This isn’t just about one case — it’s about a cycle that keeps stealing lives, peace, and futures,” one community member said. “We have to break it. That means caring, prevention, healing, and change before another life is erased.”
The deaths of Robert Heym in 2012 and Iryna Zarutska in 2025 — both innocent victims of senseless attacks — serve as painful reminders of the urgent need to address both violent crime and its root causes.
🕊️ May Iryna and all victims of senseless violence rest in peace.
City of Hammond, Louisiana — At approximately 11:50 p.m. on February 24, 2026, officers with the Hammond Police Department responded to a report of shots fired involving one possible victim.
Upon arrival, officers located a 14-year-old juvenile female, identified as Tyronai Reed, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Emergency medical assistance was rendered at the scene, and she was transported to North Oaks Health System for treatment.
Despite life-saving efforts, Reed later succumbed to her injuries.
Detectives assigned to the department’s Criminal Investigations Division launched an immediate homicide investigation.
During the course of their investigation, authorities identified 18-year-old Demontez Treyvon “Trey” Robinson of Hammond as a suspect in the shooting.
While actively working the case, officers observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and conducted a traffic stop.
Robinson was identified as the driver of the vehicle and was taken into custody without incident.
Robinson was transported to the Criminal Investigations Division for questioning. According to investigators, Robinson admitted that the firearm discharged while he was handling or “playing with” it, resulting in the single round striking the 14-year-old victim.
Robinson was subsequently booked into the Hammond City Jail on one count of Negligent Homicide.
Authorities emphasize that the investigation remains in its early stages and additional details may be released as they become available.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Corey Morse with the Hammond Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 985-277-5758 or via email at morse_cm@hammond.org. Tips may also be submitted through the department’s official Facebook page or anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa at 1-800-554-5245.
Individuals providing information may be eligible for a cash reward. Authorities urge members of the community to assist in the ongoing investigation.