A real-life crime drama unfolded near the village of Lazy. A 37-year-old debtor lured a 45-year-old acquaintance to a meeting, ostensibly to settle a debt, but then opened fire on her car. The woman was saved by a phone she accidentally dropped.
Investigators from the Tyachiv District Police Department, under the procedural guidance of the Tyachiv District Prosecutor’s Office, detained a 37-year-old resident of the Tyachiv region. The man is suspected of a brutal attempted murder of his longtime acquaintance and godmother, who is the godmother of his children. The motive for the crime was his unwillingness to repay a massive debt of 38,000 U.S. dollars.
The Communications Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zakarpattia Oblast and the Zakarpattia Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported on the cynical attack.
20 Years of Trust and a Deadly Trap by the River
The investigation revealed that the victim and the suspect had maintained a close friendship for over two decades. The woman periodically helped her acquaintance out with substantial sums of money. When the debt reached $38,000 and the creditor persistently asked for the loan to be repaid, the man devised a plan to physically eliminate his benefactor:
- A Meeting in the Dark: On the evening of November 6, around 8:00 p.m., the suspect arranged to meet the woman in a deserted area near the village of Lazy, close to the Tyachivets River, promising to return the money;
- The first shot: The 45-year-old Uzhhorod resident arrived at the scene in her Audi Q5. However, instead of settling the debt, the debtor pulled out a firearm and fired through the driver’s side window;
- A Fatal Coincidence That Saved Her Life: The victim was saved from the bullet by pure chance—at that very moment, she had bent down toward the floor of the car to pick up her phone, which had slipped from her hands;
- A second shot and the finishing blow: Trying to escape, the woman ran out of the car. The assailant fired a second shot, wounding her, and after the victim fell, struck her on the head with a heavy object and fled, believing the matter was settled.
A Call for Help and the Arrest of the Shooter
Despite a severe concussion, numerous cuts from shattered car glass, and a gunshot wound, the woman found the strength to pick up her phone and tell her friends where she was. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed a gunshot wound to the ear and lacerations to the neck, head, and chest. Fortunately, no vital organs were damaged, and her life is not in danger.
Criminal investigators tracked down and detained the 37-year-old suspect within a matter of hours in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
Charges and the Prospect of Life Imprisonment
The suspect’s actions have been classified under the most severe provision:
- Part 2 of Article 15 and Paragraph 6 of Part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—a completed attempt at intentional murder committed for mercenary motives.
The penalty under this provision is imprisonment for a term of 10 to 15 years or life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The prosecutor’s office insists exclusively on a non-alternative preventive measure—detention without the right to bail. The investigation is ongoing.
