Ukrainian Refugee, Soldier Boyfriend Allegedly Shot Dead in Bed by Jealous Ex on Valentine’s Day 

A Ukrainian refugee and her soldier boyfriend were allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend on Valentine’s Day.

Kateryna Tovmash, 21, and Matthew Wade, a soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, were fatally shot shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at Tovmash’s home in Vass, North Carolina, according to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said Tovmash’s ex-boyfriend, Caleb Fosnaugh, 25, was taken into custody a little after 2 p.m. in Coshocton, Ohio, after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers pulled over a white Ford Mustang during a traffic stop. Investigators said warrants were obtained accusing him of breaking and entering and two counts of murder in connection with the deaths. He was transported to the Coshocton County Justice Center.

“This is a tragic and senseless loss of life,” Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said in a statement, adding that investigators were grateful for the assistance from law enforcement partners who helped locate and arrest Fosnaugh.

Wade’s sister, Megan, wrote on Facebook that Fosnaugh drove about seven hours from Ohio, broke into the home while Tovmash was caring for her younger siblings, forced one sibling to wake her, and then shot both Tovmash and Wade, who she said was sleeping nearby.

Tovmash had come to the United States about two years ago with family members after fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Independent.

A friend who organized a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs described the killings as a “senseless act of violence,” saying they had known Tovmash and her family from time spent in Ukraine between 2015 and 2017 and had stayed close ever since.

The fundraiser had raised more than $15,000 as of Monday, Feb. 16.

Authorities said the investigation remains active and that detectives are continuing to work to determine what led to the incident.

The case comes months after the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train last August. Decarlos Brown Jr. was charged with first-degree murder in her death, which drew national attention after surveillance footage of the attack was released.