'This hurts,' says friend of woman slain in Shakopee

Friends and family identified the 34-year-old woman who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend at a home they shared in Shakopee on Monday morning as Ruzana Yedvabnik.

"I miss my friend," said Stacie Glapion, from New Orleans, La. She and Yedvabnik were high-school friends. "This hurts."

Authorities said they do not believe a firearm was used. The 31-year-old suspect was arrested after a brief standoff Monday and is being held in Scott County jail.

Glapion said Yedvabnik, originally from Ukraine, emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s. She first moved to New York with her mother, then they moved to Eden Prairie, where she attended Eden Prairie High School. Yedvabnik has a 9-year-old daughter who lives with her dad, Glapion said.

Yedvabnik rarely brought up her relationship with her boyfriend, but when she did, it was hardly positive.

"She was pretty quiet about those things," Glapion said. "She mentioned issues he had in the past, but never said anything about him hurting her or anything like that."

Jacqueline Lutgen, a family friend of about 20 years, said that two weeks ago Yedvabnik sought help finding a new apartment for her and her mother because the boyfriend was kicking them out.

People knew they fought, but no one knew if he had ever inflicted physical violence on her, Lutgen said.

"I never heard anything bad and everything seemed fine," she said. "She never let on about the guy abusing her."

Friends said Yedvabnik had a contagious personality and was outgoing, funny, lovable, caring and a hard worker.

"She was like a sister to me," Glapion said. "She was so strong. She went through a lot in her life. This is just so sad."

Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647