Dem Lawmaker Praises Removal Of Iryna Zarutska Mural, Calls It ‘Divisive’

Rhode Island State Rep. David Morales, a Democrat, is under fire for claiming that a mural of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee whose brutal murder at the hands of a career criminal sparked national outrage, “divisive.”

The mural was a partially completed portrait of Zarutska painted by artist Ian Gaudreau on the exterior wall of The Dark Lady, an LGBT nightclub located in downtown Providence. The artwork was part of a national campaign to memorialize Zarutska.

Work on the project began on Monday, March 30, though city officials immediately moved to axe the plan due to “community backlash.” The owners of the Dark Lady soon complied and announced that the project would be discontinued and removed. This was further confirmed in a separate statement from Gaudreau.

Morales, who is also a candidate for mayor of Providence, issued a statement endorsing the mural’s removal.

“We’re seeing a right-wing movement that is exploiting the death of the refugee for the purposes of trying to spread division. Ultimately, we want to make sure that every community member that calls Providence home feels safe,” the Democrat lawmaker told local outlet WJAR.

“And we can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values,” he added.

#New: We caught up with Providence mayoral candidate @DavidMoralesPVD to ask for his thoughts on the mural.

He says the project is part of a “right-wing movement” that is exploiting Iryna Zarutska's death. @NBC10

You can watch part of our interview here: pic.twitter.com/EQgNQ3Hht2

— Ryan Medeiros (@RRyanmedeiros) March 30, 2026

Iryna Zarutska was a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who had left Ukraine amid the ongoing war and settled in Charlotte, North Carolina. On August 22, 2025, she was approached from behind and repeatedly stabbed in the neck while riding on local public transportation.

Surveillance footage from the train captured the horrific killing and identified Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, as the killer. According to court documents and police reports, Brown pulled a folding pocketknife from his pocket, stood up, and stabbed Zarutska without apparent provocation.

Zarutska could be seen clutching her neck while looking up at the killer in horror, before ultimately collapsing after a few seconds. She was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency personnel arrived.

Prior to the incident, Brown had been arrested at least 14 times in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, since 2007. His criminal record included convictions for breaking and entering, armed robbery (for which he served prison time from 2015 until his release in September 2020), possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault.

In January 2025, he was arrested for misdemeanor misuse of a 911 call after repeatedly contacting emergency services from a hospital with claims that voices in his head were controlling him. ourt records also indicate Brown had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had exhibited violent behavior at home, leading to a request for involuntary psychiatric commitment earlier in 2025.

A psychological evaluation had been ordered in July 2025 in connection with his legal proceedings, though it was not completed prior to the August incident, meaning that Brown was released despite his extensive criminal record and severe mental issues.

In response to the killing, North Carolina lawmakers passed “Iryna’s Law,” which barred leftist “criminal justice reform” policies such as cashless bail. It further mandated detention for known criminals being arrested for violent crimes.

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