‘THEY WERE FAMILY TO ME’
Neighbor of husband, wife killed in apparent murder-suicide said couple had share of problems
As far as neighbors go, Dennis Debrosky said his family was about as close to the Ovsaks as anyone on Sages Loop Road.
For 25 years, the families lived across from one another; their children grew up together, and Debrosky said Juan and Maritza would often stop by to chat — or, when the couple were having marital problems — vent.
“They were family to me,” said Debrosky as he sat on his front porch across from the home where the Ovsaks lived, and died.
“Usually when he’d come over, there were issues.” — Dennis Debrosky
Debrosky said the couple had their fair share of problems, “mostly on the husband’s side,” and the police had been to the home about a half-dozen times in the last 10 years.
But he said he never expected those problems would manifest themselves in violent tragedy that unfolded behind the closed doors of the tan ranchstyle home on Friday.
The bodies of Juan C. Ovsak, 70, and Maritza E. Ovsak, 54, were found about 3:40 p.m. in their home at 40 Sages Loop Road, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office said. Authorities said it appears Ovsak fatally shot his wife with a handgun and then took his own life. Mrs. Ovsak suffered a single gunshot wound, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Debrosky said he had spoken to both of the Ovsaks on Thursday -Maritza from the porches of their homes, and Juan, when he went stopped by Debrosky’s for a brief visit.
“He asked how I like the new deck and roof,” Debrosky said, nothing that the Ovsaks had just replaced their shingle roof and had a deck built on the front of their home.
Debroksy said he told Ovsak he thought they
looked just fine, and Ovsak said, “OK, good talking to you, I’m going to go now,” and left.
Debrosky said the brief conversation seemed odd, and in hindsight, wonders if Ovsak was in some manner saying good-bye.
“Usually when he’d come over, there were issues,” he said.
In the predawn hours of Friday morning, Debrosky said he heard two bangs, but assumed it was the sound of leftover fireworks someone was setting off.
It wasn’t until Friday afternoon, when he started seeing police cars stream into the Ovsaks’ home, that he realized what had happened.
Debrosky said described both husband and wife as nice people who would do anything for you.
He said Juan Ovsak often worked on cars in his yard or at a shop he owned in Ellenville and also worked for Ulster County’s UCAT bus system.
Maritza was employed by the Worker Justice Center of New York.
Debrosky called Maritza “one of the nicest people I ever met in my life.”
It was a sentiment shared by many who wrote on a Facebook post about the shooting, calling her “a sweet and caring lady,” and “kind, and hardworking.”
Debrosky said the couple leaves behind three grown daughters.