The Misery Machine - The Case of Iryna Zarutska

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

On a quiet train ride through North Carolina, surrounded by strangers and moving steadily toward its destination, no one could have imagined that violence was about to unfold in one of the most confined public spaces imaginable. Iryna Zarutska was just another passenger that day... until her life was taken in a brutal and senseless act that would shock travelers, law enforcement, and an entire nation.What makes this case especially disturbing isn’t just the crime itself, but where it happened: aboard a moving train, a place many people associate with safety, routine, and anonymity. In today’s video, we’ll examine who Iryna was, what is known about the moments leading up to her death, how the attack unfolded, and the questions this case raised about security, vulnerability, and violence in public spaces.Support Our Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: miserymachinepodcastTwitter: misery_podcastDiscord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#themiserymachine #podcast #truecrimeSource Materials Available Upon Request.

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With select games streaming with ESPN on Disney Plus. Let's go! US residents, 18 plus only. Select Banana Ball games available to all Disney Plus subscribers. Terms apply. Ukraine is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe. Rich with history and culture, it's home to countless historical landmarks,

including beautiful cathedrals, public libraries, and universities. With about 3 million residents, it's also one of the most populated cities in Europe. That is, it was, until February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. This ongoing conflict is the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II. The exact numbers are elusive and fluctuate constantly. But since the invasion, at least 5.8 million people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to escape the war. One of these refugees was a young woman, named,

Irina Zarutka, often called Ira by family and friends. Arena was born on May 22, 2002 in Kiev, and was the cherished daughter of parents Anna Zarutka and Stanislav Zarutsky. Her mother remembered that she had the ability to sleep for wonderfully long stretches, which she called her daughter's artist's gift. Arina had blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and an easy smile. She loved sightseeing and going on adventures, but she was also described as a homebody who was the happiest when she was surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Eurina was a gifted artist who enjoyed sculpting and making unique clothing that matched her vivacious personality. She studied art and restoration for four years at Synergy College in Kiev before leaving at the age of 18. Her main tutor, Tatiana, first met her in 2017 when she was one of the new students. She described her as a skinny teenager with frightened eyes and said she wanted to feed her all the time. Tatiana said that while many in the class needed extensive.

instruction, Irina had an artist's ability that helped her paint and draw to an expert level by the time she left college. Tatiana said, Irina just took it and drew. She felt the shadows, she felt the color, she felt the light, how it should fall. Arena decided to leave college at 18 years old to work rather than stay another two years to earn a degree. She moved a short distance away from her family who lived in an apartment in the Solo Mayonski District of Keeve. The downstairs neighbor of Arena, who used to play soccer with her, said, we knew that her family was very strict. They were often driven home early,

but it was a good family. Still, another friend from college thought that Arena may have begun to chafe under the constraints of living at home, saying she was really independent. Maybe it was a bit too much with her mom, dad, younger brother, and younger sister at home.

Those feelings of teenage restlessness must have hit the back burner once Russia invaded. In the initial months, Serena's neighborhood was subject to repeated bombardments as part of the Battle of Kyiv. That area faced some of the worst shellings of any of the city's districts because it forms part of a protective ring around the city center

and because it is home to the Zulani Airport, which could be used to land in an invading force. Family friend named Lonnie recalled that Arena experienced the terror of daily bombings in Ukraine and the nightmare of not knowing if you're going to live or breathe in another day. Arena's family was forced to move from their apartment to a small bomb ship, shelter where they lived for months. They only occasionally visited their apartment to make sure it hadn't been disturbed or bombed. Meanwhile, in the United States, their extended family members were trying to raise money to get Irina, her mother, her younger brother and sister, to Huntersville, North Carolina,

where Arena's aunt and uncle, Scott and Valeria Haskell, could take them in. Before they left Ukraine, Irina met her college friend Nostia for a final drink who recalled she was really, really eager, sitting on her suitcase, so to speak, really wanting this time to come quickly that she was go there with her family. Marina was also very upset because her father could not leave with the rest of his family. Under martial law, men of fighting age were banned from leaving the country. Stayed in Kiev while his family left for a safer place. Finally, in August of 2022, Arina's family, minus her father, fled from Ukraine, first taking ground transportation to Warsaw, Poland, and then flying to the United States. None of them had ever been on a plane, but outside of Ukraine or spoke any English.

Arena and her family moved in with her aunt and uncle in the peaceful suburbs of Hunter'sville, North Carolina. This quiet neighborhood must have felt like a sanctuary after the ongoing bombardments in Kiev. The community rallied to help the Haskells prepare for their refugee family members, contributing furniture so that the three-bedroom house could become a five-bedroom house. Arena and her mother were eager to get jobs so that they could contribute, but needed to wait for their work permits to get approved. In the meantime, Arena began taking it. English lessons online through a nearby community college. She initially used her phone for

internet access before a generous neighbor got wind of this and donated a couple of computers to the family. Once their work permits were approved, Arena and her mother started working housekeeping jobs at a retirement community about a mile away. In the beginning, they walked to work since neither had a driver's license. Back home in Kiev, they used public transportation to get anywhere, so having a car had been unnecessary. After picking them up one day in his car, Irina's Uncle Scott gave her his bicycle and bought another one for her mom so they could cycle to work instead of walking. A year after moving to the U.S., Arena got a job at a nearby subway sandwich shop where she was popular with customers, some of them specifically asking for that Ukrainian girl. She soon became fluent in English,

a testament to her determination and her love of learning. After coming to the United States, Arina also discovered her love for animals. Her family said that she, often cared for her neighbor's pets and many fondly remember seeing her walking them through the neighborhood, always with her radiant smile. She became a regular fixture in the neighborhood, sometimes walking all three of the Haskell's dogs on Leeds, but most often walking with her favorite, a Labrador Mix named Teddy. In the spring of 2023, Arina's mother and two siblings moved into a house of their own so that way everybody could have a little bit more space. Arena stayed living with her aunt and uncle because their house was so close to her job at Subway.

Over the next year, Arina and her aunt Valeria grew very close. Sometimes they would sit outside on the porch for hours just talking. Arena shared her dreams for her future life in the United States. She dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant so she could work with the animals that she loved so much. She dreamed of traveling the world and of buying a house of her own near her family. And she could turn the biggest room into an art studio where she could draw, sculpt, and pour herself into her creativity. During this time, her uncle Scott filled it. for Arina's father who was still back home in Keith. Her uncle gave advice, drove her around,

and started teaching her how to drive. Still, Arena was already used to living independently as a young adult, so having to rely on relatives for a ride to go anywhere outside the suburbs must have grown tiring for her. Soon she got a job at Plato's closet, which is a budget clothing store, but she started talking about moving to a nearby city herself. One of her subway co-workers, Janaro Mendoza, said she had a lot of dreams to get a car, to get a new a better job, to move to Charlotte. Gianaro said that Arena remained haunted by her experiences with war, said he saw her vaping a lot, and when he asked her why,

she showed him how her hands still trembled. He said she also seemed to have scars or cuts on her forearm, which he thought were from injuries she sustained in Ukraine, though he never asked her. Before long, Arena was on her way to a bigger city where she could thrive. In May of 2025, she moved to the lively arts district of North Davidson and Charlotte. known as Noda by the locals. You'll remember this neighborhood from our coverage of Mary Collins case.

Arena's new neighborhood was buzzing with creative people, art, and delicious food, a welcome distraction because her favorite dog, Teddy, had passed away around this time. She got an apartment with her boyfriend Stas, close to the 36th Street station on Charlotte's light rail line.

Being so close to public transportation opened up Irina's world, and she got a job as a cashier at Zepiddy's pizzeria, in Charlotte's lower south end, 10 stops down the line from their apartment. Despite how difficult it must have been to leave everything behind in Ukraine and adapt to an entirely different world, Arena embraced her new life in Charlotte. According to her friend Janaro, I think she was living the happiest moment of her life because she'd moved to Charlotte with

her boyfriend. Her new home, her new job, she was so excited. She came to the United States and she was starting a new life. She was really starting to be happy. new roots, new friends, new job. Photos and videos of Arina from her time in Charlotte showed her enjoying typical pastimes for someone her age. She can be seen goofing around with her boyfriend, enjoying a cold beer with friends by the pool, playing cards and board games,

enjoying food and generally living the carefree life that she so deserved after fleeing her war-torn home. According to her uncle, Arena loved the United States. The last three years were really the best years of her life. She was very, very happy here. This is where she wanted to be. Arena was saving up money to take a big trip with Stas to Miami,

but also made a huge purchase, an older model Cadillac, the first car anyone in her family had ever owned. Stoss took over teaching her how to drive, and in August, her uncle Scott texted her and asked how she was doing. She texted back. Everything is great. In October, I have an appointment for the first time to pass the driving test.

I'm very excited about it. Soon, I'll be able to come visit you and Valeria on my own. I miss you guys so much. On August 22nd, 2025, Arina finished up her evening shift at Zepides and headed home. She walked north to the Scaly Bark Station on the Lynx Blue Line. At 9.46 p.m. she boarded the light rail train and sat down in a seat by herself. She was still wearing her work uniform of a black t-shirt and hat with the Zepadis logo on it, with her blonde hair pulled back under the hat.

There were a few other people near her on the train. She ignored them as she swiped casually at her phone. One of these fellow passengers was 34-year-old DeCarlos DeWan Brown Jr. DeCarlos was a North Carolina native with an extensive criminal history. He had been arrested 14 times previously, including an arrest in January of 2025 for misusing 911 with charges going all the way back to 2007. In April of 2014, he was convicted of breaking and entering. While on probation for that crime, he was arrested again for armed robbery.

Court records show DeCarlos was initially charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, which is sometimes used by prosecutors to push cases into the federal system where there may be harsher penalties for them. In the end, federal prosecutors did not take the case, and the state charge was dropped in exchange for a guilty plea on the charge of armed robbery. After this conviction, he went to prison for five years. from 2015 to 2020. Born to his sister, Tracy Brown, his mother, Michelle DeWitt, Carlos was a different person

when he was released from incarceration. They said that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered from bouts of paranoia and delusions. Both agreed that his mental health got worse and worse over the last three years. He lived with his mother, Michelle, who said that he wasn't the normal Carlos, the fun Carlos.

She said he began showing violent behavior like yelling in her face and slamming doors in the house. He also walked around the house talking to himself. Michelle said that her son had been given medication for a schizophrenia but refused to take it. During Tracy, he didn't seem to like himself. She said he struggled to have simple conversations and was unable to hold down a job. We'd sometimes become aggressive with Tracy, including the time he attacked her in 2022.

He broke the hinges on a door and bit her, but Tracy said she decided to drop the charges against him because she was concerned for his mental health issues. Carlos' mother said that she grew more and more. more worried for her and her husband's safety, so they tried to take De Carlos to a mental hospital. There, they were told the hospital didn't have enough room to admit him, and since he wasn't threatening to hurt himself, the hospital couldn't take him. At that time, the average wait time for a psychiatric bed was 16 days. He told Michelle that you just can't force a person to come to the facility, which was true. Involuntary commitment was very difficult to obtain unless a court

finds that the person was dangerous. Shell was left with no other option but to file a court petition for her son to get help. As a result of that, a mental health facility kept DeC Carlos for two weeks, but, and he was released back into her and her husband's care. Michelle said that she hoped she could help to Carlos by creating a routine for him, keeping him on a schedule. That stopped working once he quit taking his medication. Finally, Michelle and her husband had had enough. They decided they weren't going to do it anymore and dropped him off at a men's shelter in Charlotte. In the following months, Michelle said she had seen her son walking up and down the streets, and one of her daughters would see him riding the bus sometimes.

In January of 2025, police did a welfare check onto Carlos, and he told them that he had been given a man-made material that controlled his basic functions like walking, talking, and eating. He wanted them to investigate the man-made material in his body. They said that they couldn't help him, and with that, he got upset. He called 911, which led to his arrest for misuse of 911. It was quickly released without bond on a promise to return for court, which is standard practice for low-level misdemeanors like this.

At the time, his public defender requested a mental evaluation to determine if he could contribute to his own defense in court. The judge signed an order on July 28th, telling to Carlos to report to a community forensic evaluator within seven days. North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services records show that in the first half of 2025, the average time to get a court-ordered evaluation for a lesser crime was only 18 days, so we're not sure why it took over six months to get an order for DeCarlos's evaluation. In any case, it's unclear whether he complied or not with the order.

Early in the morning on Sunday, August 17th, DeCarloos showed up at his mother's home. Told her he had just been released from the hospital and asked if he could stay the night. Later that morning, she dropped him off at the shelter on Statesville Avenue. Leave him a hug and told him, I love you, before she went to church. That was the last time she saw her son before. the events of August 22nd. That Friday evening, De Carlos meandered around the station of the light rail train before boarding without a ticket. He sat in the window seat of the train, wearing an orange sweatshirt

with the hood pulled up over his long black hair. Video surveillance shows that he was restless and fidgety. He nodded his head, shook it, and then sat bolt upright before slouching to rest his head on the seat in front of him. Occasionally, he swayed back and forth, maybe from the rhythm of the train or his own inner metronome. At 9.46 p.m., a young woman with blonde hair, wearing a black pizzeria t-shirt and a matching hat boarded the train and sat down in front of DeC Carlos. He noticed her right away, glancing at her while he casually rested his fingertips against his own cheek. Arena did what many young women learned to do while in public. She ignored the people around her. She sat with her legs crossed and her elbows close to her body as she looked at her phone, her body

signaling that she wanted to be left alone. She texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon. She was wearing earbuds and it could be whatever she was listening to covered up the sound of DeC Carlos' movements behind her. About four and a half minutes after Erena boarded, DeCarlos casually reached into his sweatshirt and removed an object. A moment later, his movements revealed that he held a pocket knife which she unfolded. Maybe there was an audible click.

Maybe not, but either. way, Irina probably wouldn't have heard it with her earbuds in. For a moment, DeCarlos looked out of the window of the train as if that's all he intended to do. Then, without warning, he suddenly stood up, grabbing the seat bar in front of him with his left hand while swinging his right arm up and high. Irina barely had time to realize anything was happening as she turned partially sideways to look up in alarm. Brutally, swiftly, DeCarloz stabbed Irina three times. And from behind, including once in her neck. Then he abruptly walked away toward the front of the train. Arena watched him leave, cowering back in her seat and terror, with her glasses gone and her

pizzeria hat falling off. She put her hands to her chest and mouth, as if curling into herself. She was clearly in shock, not realizing yet what just happened. The other passengers looked around in confusion, and one man stood up, maybe to fend off to Carlos. The woman sitting across from Arina gathered her own things and left. Arena looked helplessly at her fellow passengers and covered her face with her hands. Even in her fear and agony, Arina didn't plea for help or call out in distress. It was as if she was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. De Carlos, meanwhile, was pacing around inside the train car,

dripping blood of his own all over the floor from a wound on his hand. At one point, he paused to remove his sweatshirt and a rapid arm. around his hand, and two times he said, I got that white girl. Other passengers simply watched or tried to get out of the way as he trailed blood around the car. He continued to mutter nonsensical sentences until the train stopped and he exited the car. Other passengers quickly left as well, and it was only after the danger had passed that other witnesses moved to help Irina. About 15 seconds after being stabbed, Arena had collapsed sideways, falling to the floor. While other passengers eventually tried to help her, the others pulled out their phones to film the ordeal.

One man took off a shirt to try to cover her wound while others tried CPR. Tragically, there was nothing to be done. Arena bled to death right there on the floor of the train, surrounded by strangers, most of whom didn't lift a finger to help her until it was too late. At 9.55 p.m., officers at the Charlotte-Meklenburg Police Department got reports of an assault with a deadly weapon that was occurring on a train on the link's blue line. In the end, six people called 911 to report the attack. Have no fear. Chosen Foods is here to defend your favorite foods from the forces of seedy oils and sketchy ingredients. With cooking oils, salad dressings, and mayo, all powered by the good fats from 100% pure avocado oil and simple delicious ingredients. Chosen Foods. wholesale club the day he became a father of 30.

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I was dead right. You said a male staffed someone for no reason? Do they need medic? So the train. You asked the fucking clean it. Okay, stay on the medic. We're on the shelter. Medican County Fire. What is the address for the emergency? We're right at the... What is this?

What is this? We're in South here, why the calls from I'm becoming in the East and West Budavada, the train station. I don't know, we didn't see it. There's just a lady right now on the ground with a lot of blood. And everybody's screaming that she got stabbed and I don't know if anybody's called 911 yet. People are just freaking out. Yeah, we'll get some more information. Are you with the station now? Uh, yes, she's on this train. On the train?

She's on the train, she's on the ground. Right now, there's people around her right now. I think they're holding pressure on the train. they're holding pressure on this one site. There's a lot of less. Did you see the person who stopped the female at all? No, I did not. We were on a different train park down the road line and this is in the very blast train park. I think the person stabbed her gone. Okay. She's stabbed into a carotid, I believe. It looks like she has, but we're not 100% confident that she's gone. I'm not close to it. There's a lot of people are around. around her. They're all saying it's gone. The pupils are blown out and there's no pulse.

I think she's dead, man. I think the girl might be dead man. The fire coach has got here but there's no police person and the guy that did is sitting over here on the ramp. Yeah, he's on the other platform, he's a black male, dread loss, he got his hand wrapped up in a red jacket, a black t-shirt because his hand is like hanging off his hand. Oh, okay. He got dreadlocks, he got on a blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and his hand is wrapped up. He got lingerie and he's walking in the floor. Is he wearing the orange hoodie? No, he got a black t-shirt on. The hoodies wrapped around his hand. Okay. And what? Okay. Yeah. Are you on the same platform? All right. Yeah. All right. No.

No. Okay. Okay. All right. He's on the opposite platform. Okay. Officers responded to the scene where witnesses pointed them to DeC Carlos, who was on the outbound light rail platform. Carlos was wearing the same clothing described by the collar and had a laceration to the outside of his right hand. Several officers swarmed around him with their guns drawn before they tackled him to the ground. Carlos was arrested and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Officers found a folding knife near the outbound platform. 23-year-old arena was located in the rear car of the train at the inbound platform. She was pronounced dead at 10.05 p.m. with officers noting a stab wound to the middle of her neck.

We're into a statement from Arena's family's lawyer. Her relatives became concerned for her welfare when she didn't come home at a reasonable time. She messaged her boyfriend saying she was on her way home, so when she didn't show up, they checked her phone location, so that she was still at the station so members of her family went there to find her, and upon arriving, they were devastated to find out what had happened to her. Autopsy reports later confirmed that Arena had been stabbed three times. One stab was to her upper right chest, and another below her left knee cap.

The fatal blow that ultimately ended her life was to her neck. This wound was located just right of center above the collarbone and penetrated downward from right to left. The stab wound passed through her neck tissue, damaged her thyroid gland, and severed the carotid artery before penetrating into the left chest cavity. Over one and a half liters of blood poured into arena's chest cavity from the severed artery. After DeC Carlos was released from the hospital, he was charged with first-degree homicide. A week later, a judge ordered a 60-day psychiatric evaluation. He was sent to a state mental hospital. It was a dramatic contrast to the January misdemeanor arrest,

where it took more than six months for a judge to order a mental health evaluation. Remember, that was when DeCarlos ranted to officers that he had been given a human-made substance that controlled when he ate, talked, or walked. United States magistrate judge Susan Rodriguez appointed a capital defense lawyer, Joshua Kendrick, to represent DeCarlos, alongside federal public defenders, Mary Ellen Coleman, and Megan Hoffman. Several days after the attack, Carlos spoke to his sister on the phone.

He reiterated that he had material in his body that caused him to attack Arena. He said, make sure it was me that did it, not the material. And I'm telling you, the material did it. He expressed that he didn't know Arena and added, I never said not one word to the lady at all. That's scary, ain't it? So like, why would somebody stab somebody for no reason? On September 15, 2025, DeCalos was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree homicide.

On October 22nd, he was indicted in federal court with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. Both charges carry the potential for the death penalty. Under federal law, violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death, along with fines up to $250,000 and supervised release up to five years. There was no mandatory minimum sentence. It was later announced that a court hearing to determine whether DeC Carlos would face the death penalty had been delayed to April of 2026. As of the date of this recording, DeCarlos is being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center without bonds. And, as with every case that has yet to go to trial, DeC Carlos is considered innocent until proven.

and guilty in a court of law. The investigation remains ongoing with CMPD's homicide division asking that the public provide any relevant information. The reaction to Arena's death was tumultuous. Multiple Charlotte City Council members called for immediate steps to improve public safety on the city's transit system. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyle said the city was increasing security on commuter trains effective immediately. She said that security personnel would be redeployed for a stronger presence on the blue-line platforms and police will also be increasing patrols at key areas across the transit system. She also said that new safety operations include bike units and urban terrain vehicles. Security teams patrolled the trains and platforms of the light rail system at the time of

Arena's death, but were not stationed in one area. There were no security personnel in the train car where Arena was stabbed, though there were officers riding in the train ahead of her. During a public transit meeting on September 2nd, Charlotte Area Transportation System officials said that they have hired a chief safety and security officer, but they tripled their safety budget and started replacing aging cameras with high-tech upgrades. They also said they would seek to increase fair inspections, install new ticket validators, and expand security staffing on trains and platforms. Security officers have also been made more visible on Charlotte trains since this attack.

Charlotte City Council also agreed to expand the scope of the private security company that monitors the links blue line, so that they would now also patrol. sidewalks and other areas near transit. Excema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with ebbglis. A once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four in 10 people taking ebb glist, achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.

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treated with Epglis. Before starting Epglus, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about Ebglis and visit Epglis that Lily. or call 1-800-Lilly RX or 1-800-545-9-9. Mayor Violiles released a statement a few days after the attack, and while she started by saying, first and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the young woman's family and friends. The rest of her statement focused primarily on the safety of public transportation, the mental health system, and DeCarlos's state of mind. She said, well, I do not know the specifics of the man's medical record.

What I have come to understand is that he has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis. Now, there were many who criticized the mayor for not using Arina's name, ignoring DeC Carlos's history and downplaying the stabbing by calling it a crisis. In September, North Carolina lawmakers passed a criminal reform bill dubbed Irina's law, which included measures such as tightening pretrial conditions for the release of violent offenders, eliminating cashless bail for certain offenses, establishing a new protocol for ordering mental health evaluations in the criminal justice system, hiring more assistant district attorneys and legal assistance in Mecklenburg County, and setting a firmer timeline for appeals

in death penalty cases. In addition, it established that use of public transportation as an aggravating factor when seeking the death penalty. It also directed the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections to identify other means of carrying out death sentences, such as the firing squad if lethal injection was declared unconstitutional or not possible due to the drugs being unavailable. Governor Josh Stein signed the bill into law on October 3rd despite his misgivings. He said Irina's law alerts the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before determining their bail. That's a good thing and why has signed it into law. However, he said the law doesn't focus enough on the actual threat that's

certain offenders may pose and instead looks at whether or not someone has the financial means to provide cash for bail. He also said that including the possibility of execution by firing squad was alarming and barbaric. He said, there will be no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor. Beyond those specific concerns with the legislation, I am troubled by its lack of ambition or vision. It simply does not do enough to keep you safe. Candleet vigil was held on August 31st to honor Arena and other victims of violent crimes on Charlotte's public transportation system. Memorial for her had quickly formed on the platform at the East-West Boulevard Light Rail Station filled with flowers and photos of Arena. A second vigil hosted by Mecklenburg GOP was held on September 22nd, a month after her death.

Police blocked off both ends of Camden Street and hundreds of people from all over gathered at the rail station to remember Arena. mourners held candles reflected on Arena's life and prayed with pastors and ministers. Several religious leaders led prayers in both English and Ukrainian. Tendys held a two-minute moment of silence for Arena, the length of time that elapsed before anybody helped her after she was attacked. Arena's funeral was held five days after her death at James Funeral Home in Huntersville, North Carolina. Close friends and family members sat in the front. A slideshow played on a screen near the open casket. Images played of Arena goofing around, hugging a beloved dog, taking selfies, and living a joyful life.

One of Arena's favorite songs was heard, a song called T-Tot Krosiba by the Ukrainian band The Quest Pistols. The title translates to You Are So Beautiful. The funeral director John Hill spoke about Arena saying, She loved having a good time. She smiled. As a matter of fact, her smile was infectious, and it was contagious. Anytime she smiled, she lit up the room. Anytime she smiled, she got the attention of everybody. He pointed out that Arena's name means peace.

He said, she took the hardships and the struggles of the life that she had. Instead of being down and out, she overcame them. She experienced joy. She experienced happiness. She still had a smile, and she'd want you to have that tonight. Marina's sister Lurka also spoke, urging people to love you. each other and to be sure to tell those you love, that you love them, and that it is very important to tell a person once more.

When talking about her sister's death, she said, something was torn out of me, something that will never return, something very precious and great. That's all. Thank you for coming. Thank you for supporting us. She also spoke directly to Rina's boyfriend Stas and Ukrainian, saying, I just don't know the words to tell you my gratitude for making her happy. You are part of our family forever.

arena's cousin Vera Faulkner also spoke she thanked arena for the late night conversations every laugh every cry she continued grief will look like a random Tuesday night when a stranger passes by wearing your favorite perfume grief will look like listening to your favorite music without you grief will find you in conversations with a shower or while you sit in traffic or attending an art exhibition she finished her words by saying to everyone and please she would hate this she would want you to dance or listen to music smoke a cigarette, do something, paint something, kiss a flower. This dance of life is so fragile, and she is way too young for this. And you all know it. We all know it. Do something with your life. She would want that.

Arina's father, Stanaslav, was unable to come to the United States for the funeral in Huddersville. Instead, he cried while watching a live stream as his wife held up her phone to show him their daughter lying in the casket. Nostia, who is Arina's friend from Ukraine, said she found her. about Arina's death even before her father was told about it. She said the family simply didn't know how to tell him that his daughter was gone. Arena was cremated after her funeral.

The Ukrainian embassy had offered to repatriate Arina's body to Ukraine, but her family declined saying she loved America. We're going to bury her here. Fundraising page currently has over $450,000 donated to Arina's family. After the story of her death spread, tributes and memorials for Arena have sprung up all over the world. One of the earliest was a mural in Abilene, Texas, commissioned by a local auto detailing company. The artist, Alice Steele, who worked for free so that she hoped her artwork would inspire kindness and unity within the community. She said, I just want people to take five minutes to be

kind to their neighbor. We know times are hard, but that's no reason to be hard on each other. That mural was just one of many across the nation. In fact, an entire mural movement had begun. Silicon Valley Tech CEO Owen McCob was particularly moved by Arena's story, so he came up with a creative idea to honor somebody who loved artistry. Social media, he announced he was going to be offering half a million dollars and $10,000 grants to commission murals of Arena in prominent locations across American cities. Any artist could apply for a grant to paint a large-scale portrait of Arena on a building or wall in their city. By the next day, he had already secured funding for 300 murals and was in talk. with over 800 other interested artists. Significant financial donations soon rolled in from other donors. Organizers began coordinating with hundreds of artists and dozens of cities to work out locations and

designs, scouting out high visibility walls and buildings where Arena's portrait could be most prominently displayed. The goal was to place the murals and spots where thousands of people would see arenas face every day, such as city centers, busy intersections, public transit stations, and other highly trafficked areas. They were determined that Arena the story would not be forgotten or ignored. The murals were also a form of protest, a peaceful but powerful statement against a problematic system that allowed a criminal with a violent history to roam free. The tributes to Arena were not limited to murals. American rapper DeBaby released the song Save Me, which was dedicated to Arena. In a controversial music video, he reenacts the

attack on the train, only in the video grabs DeCarlos's hand before he can stab Arena. At the end of the video, security personnel await as they exit. at the train, which was actual footage of them being kicked off the train because DeBaby didn't have permission to film on board the cat's train. The link to the online fundraiser for Arena was included in the description of the video and encouraged viewers to donate. Arena's boyfriend Stas also released a video tribute on social media. In the video, we see moment after moment of Arena enjoying her life here in America, hanging out with friends, going to the gym, eating delicious food, exploring new landscapes, dancing, and making silly faces of the camera. All of these

highlight what a joyful person she was while leading a normal everyday life. And I know times are hard right now, but if we can take anything from some of the messages people have said earlier to best honor Arena, what we can do right now is not only be kind to one another, but tell somebody that you love them and tell them again. Another beautiful tribute to Arena was in the form of something much more delicate. American lepidopterist Harry Pavalon had been studying newly discovered species of butterflies in the Appalachian region. When he heard about Irina's tragic death and about the hopes and dreams she had been cultivating here in America, he decided to name the butterfly after her. He said, when I saw the story break, I'm 70 years old and I'm still driven to tears.

The small butterfly, which has soft blue wings and silver-tinted markings, was named Celestrina Irina, Irina's Azure. He sent a copy of his research paper on the butterfly, along with photos to arena's family in Ukraine. Her mother said that the butterfly dedication was a noble and heartfelt act that brought a small light into a dark time. Like the butterfly, Arena's life was far too short. She lived through the constant terror of bombings in her homeland of Ukraine, only to find her end here in America while on a normal routine commute home. She adopted this country, learned the language, got a job, and did everything right. Whether through last criminal justice systems or inadequate mental health services, a dangerous man was allowed to roam free

until he crossed paths with Irina on that fateful evening. He took her life in a swift, senseless attack, and we may never know what was really going on in his mind when he decided to kill. Arena's family has asked that she be remembered not for the tragic way her life ended, but for the light and vitality she brought into this world. Even now, they are searching for the right words to carve into her headstone, an impossible task, trying to distill someone so vivid into a handful of letters engraved into stone. They made shoes an image instead, perhaps drawn from the artwork she left behind in her old room at her aunt or uncle's house, a room that will remain untouched for 40 days in accordance with her cultural traditions. After the media frenzy that

exposed her final moments to a world of strangers, Arena's family hopes for a bit of peace, or at the very least they hope to have Eurena's grave unbothered by curious eyes. To honor their wish for privacy, we will not disclose where Erena has been laid to rest. Instead, remember her the next time you see a beautiful work of art, when you snuggle your favorite loyal dog, or if you happen to catch a glimpse of a particular blue and silver butterfly. Arena's story affected a lot of people. Here we have a young woman who fled her country to escape,

war, only to come to the U.S. and have her life snuffed out in a random act of violence. I don't feel that we can adequately express in words just how tragic this is. I know that violence on public transport isn't unheard of for most people, but there's something about the fact that it is a random act of violence that makes it so hard to stomach, especially when people don't help take a long time to help. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop.

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and if this story resonated with you, please click here to see the case of Tim McLean. This is a young man from Canada who had his whole life ahead of him, only to have it stolen by a complete stranger and another random act of violence on a Greyhound bus.