Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Iryna Zarutska's Alleged Killer  Deemed Incompetent For Trial | Crime Alert Saturday Update 04.11.26

Episode Date: April 11, 2026

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Crime alert, hourly update. Breaking Crime News now. I'm Sidney. A complex legal battle is unfolding over the death of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte. After a state court ruled the suspect incompetent to stand trial, federal prosecutors are stepping in to ensure the case doesn't stall indefinitely. On August 22nd, 2025, Irene Zarutzka was traveling on the Link's blue line when, according to investigators, 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr. pulled a knife and stabbed her three times without provocation. The sheer randomness of the attack left passengers in a state of shock. This is Charlotte 911. Do you need police fire a medic? We on the plane this man just stabbed this woman for no reason.

You said a mail staff someone for no reason? Did they need medic? Yeah, so the train. You have to clean it. Okay, tail line with medic. Brown was apprehended moments later. but the road to a conviction has hit a major snack. This week, court documents revealed that a state evaluation determined Brown is incapable to proceed in his upcoming criminal trial, effectively

halting the North Carolina prosecution. The defense has pointed to a long history of mental illness supported by Brown's own statements to authorities and family members. A year before the attack, Brown called 911 from a hospital, claiming he was being manipulated by external forces, leading to a welfare check in Brown's arrest. My body got exposed to material. I need you guys to investigate. It's nothing. If I get an MRI and they see what it is,

what they're going to say? We got to get surgery and get that out so we can investigate what the mrs. Put your hands on your back. He's being arrested from misuse of 911. Got that letter. What are you? As I told you, you didn't have a police emergency,

and if you call back over some nonsense, then we would have to arrest you for misuse in 911. While the state case is stalled, the Department of Justice is moving forward. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dillon confirmed that the state's competency ruling is completely separate from federal proceedings. Brown remains in federal custody,

and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte is preparing for its own independent psychiatric evaluation. Even while behind bars, Brown has continued to deny personal responsibility for the killing. In a jailhouse call to his sister, he blamed his actions on materials he believes were implanted in his brain. Because Brown is in federal custody, the state's process for restoring his competency is currently on hold. The move by the DOJ ensures that even if the state case remains frozen, the federal charges provide a parallel path towards a resolution.

More Crime and Justice News after this. From Honolulu, a verdict has finally come down and a case. case that turned a scenic birthday hike into a bloody struggle for survival on Oahu's cliffs. A jury has found anesthesiologist Gerhard Koenig guilty of attempted manslaughter for a brutal attack on his wife, Ariel, along the Polypuka Trail. Now this wasn't the second-degree attempted murder conviction prosecutors were gunning for. After eight hours of deliberation, the jury opted for the lesser charge, citing extreme mental or emotional disturbance. The facts of March 24, 2025 are harrowing.

What was supposed to be a birthday hike ended with Ariel Koenig fighting for her life. She testified that her husband looked her in the eye, said, You're done, and tried to hurl her off a cliff before bashing her head with a rock. Hi, someone's currently being attacked on the top of Polly Puka. Where? There's a man trying to kill her. She's a lot all over her face. Where is it that?

Polly Pouca. the hike as the lookout. Okay, so Polly lookout. She's on the Polly Puka hike and he's currently attacking her. Okay, where, how far is it? How far is it? The entrance where. We're probably like five minutes into the hike.

Really quick it. Okay, what do you see? We heard her screaming, help, help, help me, help me. And then we saw a man over her and then she crawled out over her face saying that he's trying to kill her. Did she know him? I don't know. That call placed by one of two women who stumbled upon the scene.

They found Koenig straddling a bloodied Ariel. Prosecutor Joel Garner told the jury the attack was so violent, pieces of the rock actually broke off into Ariel's scalp. Throughout the three-week trial, the defense painted a very different picture. Gerhardt took the stand himself, claiming he was the victim, that Ariel tried to push him off a cliff during a selfie, and hit him with a rock first. His attorney, Thomas Otaki, slammed the prosecution,

accusing them of spinning a he-said-she-said story to fit a predetermined theory. But the jury heard a different story from Koenig's own son, Amil. He testified that his father called him on FaceTime right after the incident and confessed, saying Ariel had been cheating on him and that he had tried to kill her.

The motive? A crumbling marriage and an emotional affair Ariel was having with a coworker. Ariel described a home life defined by Koenig's controlling behavior and constant demands for physical intimacy. As a verdict was read Wednesday,

Gerhard Koenig dropped his head into his hands, facing up to 20 years in prison. For Ariel, the chapter is closing. She is filed for divorce, surviving a birthday hike that was nearly her last. What began as a sunny Easter Sunday celebration in Long Beach

ended in a disturbing discovery that has left a local community in shock. At around 5 p.m. yesterday, a family gathering at De Forest Park took a tragic turn during an Easter egg hunt. Witnesses say children were scouring a dirt path for colorful eggs when they stumbled upon what appeared to be human remains. The family immediately alerted authorities describing the find as a human skull, possibly that of a young child with smaller bones located nearby. Images from the scene were a stark contrast of holiday joy and grim reality, showing plastic Easter eggs scattered just feet away from the discovery site. Long Beach police responded quickly, cordoning off the trail and calling in the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner to take over the scene. Michael Fuentes was nearby

celebrating with his own family when he overheard about their discovery, walking our friends at ABC 7 through what happened next. We were literally like three like spots down and the family was over there, like they had like put the eggs down and then the kids were finding them. And out of nowhere, we just hear like, hey, dad, mom, there's like some bones over there, you know, and yeah, we just, everybody went over there. They called the police and then that's when they showed up. And it was really tragic. I started crying. It hurt my, it hurt my soul, you know. Neighbors who returned to the park later that evening expressed heartbreak, not only for the person whose remains were found, but for the children who made the discovery.

Local resident Christopher Kane called the incident terrible, noting that no children. child should ever have to witness something so haunting while simply trying to enjoy a holiday. At this hour, the Long Beach Police Department says the investigation is ongoing. The medical examiner's office is working to officially identify the remains and determine a cause of death. As of now, police have not released any information regarding how long the remains may have been in the park or if they are linked to any active missing persons cases. Violence erupted outside an East Harlem grocery store early Monday morning, ending in a police Police involved shooting after a man allegedly charged at officers with a massive kitchen knife.

According to the NYPD, the chaos began around 1.15 a.m. inside the city fresh market on East 120th Street. Police say a 53-year-old man became irate and disorderly during a verbal argument with another person, forcing store employees to physically remove him from the building. Following the dispute, the male suddenly became irate and disorderly, and had to be physically removed. moved from the store by multiple employees. A short time later, the subject returned to the store. When he returned, he had a large kitchen knife in his hand and was banging on the exterior glass of the window with the knife. The situation escalated minutes later. Investigators say the man returned to the market armed with a 13-inch kitchen knife. Terrified employees locked

the doors and called 911. When officers arrived just after 1.30 a.m., they repeated. ordered the man to drop the weapon. The officers gave multiple verbal commands to drop the knife and attempted to create physical distance between himself and the subject. But the subject quickly advanced towards the officers with the knife extended out. Instead, police say the suspect quickly advanced toward them with the knife extended. One officer opened fire, striking the man. The suspect was rushed to Harlem Hospital where he underwent surgery

and is currently listed in critical but stable condition. his name has not been released, the NYPD confirmed he has a history of prior arrests and was well known to law enforcement. Once again, we are reminded of the dangers that our officers confront every time they put on their uniform. And this morning was no different. Inspector Andrew Natu confirmed no officers were injured in a Monday morning news conference, praising officers quick response in rendering medical aid to the suspect immediately after the shooting. Investigators recovered seven shell casings at the scene, and the investigation remains active. Newly released body camera footage captures the moments before and after Tiger Woods' arrest

following a rollover crash in Florida. Woods slammed into a trailer flipping his SUV while driving on Jupiter Island north of Miami last Friday. According to an arrest affidavit, Woods told a deputy he did not notice the trailer in front of him slowing down because he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station. You tell me what happened with the crash? I was looking down on my phone. Okay. I'd change the radio station. And I hit it. Okay. So you were looking down at your phone and changing yours? Yes, the radio station. Okay. All righty. The Martin County Sheriff's Office footage shows deputies administering field sobriety exercises to Eldrick Tiger Woods. Woods is seen moving his head during a vision test

and then miscounting during a coordination sequence. A deputy writes that Woods bloods Shot, glassy eyes and extremely dilated pupils contributed to their conclusion he was impaired, along with two hydrocodone pills found in Wood's pocket. So at this time, I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, okay, and you're under the unknown substance. Okay, so at this time you're under the rest of the DUI, yes, sir. Woods told deputies he had not consumed any alcohol, but had taken a few prescription medications earlier that day, the names of which are redacted in the footage, with the exception of ibuprofen. At the Martin County Jail, Woods blows a 0.000 on two samples, indicating no alcohol on Wood's breath,

but the golf champ refused to submit to a urine test. The footage reveals Woods' first call after the crash was reportedly to Donald Trump. Mr. Woods, Mr. Woods, get you to hang out down here with us, please. Thank you so much. All right. You got it. All right. Thank you.

Say good. I just keep you down here with us, please. Yeah, I was just talking to the president. The White House has not responded to questions about the alleged phone call. President Trump later publicly expressed concern and called Woods a good friend. Following his arrest, Woods can be seen sitting without visible distress in the backseat of a sheriff's cruiser. This is fun. Be you cool back there?

You said no? Can you feel it now? Yes. Okay, perfect. And you have my phone? I have your phone, yes, sir, right here. Thank you. Yep. Give me one moment and we'll be out of here, okay? While seated in the back of the cruiser, Woods hiccups and sporadically closes his eyes, at one point leaning back and keeping them shut for several seconds before facing forward again. The 82-time PGA tour winner is charged with two missed. meaners, driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test,

pleading not guilty to both offenses. For the latest crime and justice breaking news, be sure to follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this crime alert, I'm Sidney Sumner. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.