Widow Says Fallen Ventura County Sheriff's Deputy Was Her 'Whole Life'

WESTLAKE VILLAGE (CBSLA.com) — Described as a man with a "burning passion to serve," loved ones of Eugene Kostiuchenko gathered at a Westlake Village church to pay their respects to the fallen Ventura County sheriff's deputy.

"Eugene was many things. All positive. I want to be like him. I want to teach my child, who is just about 8 months, Eugene's grandson, to be like him," said Tristan Kelley, Eugene's son, at Calvary Community Church Tuesday.

Kostiuchenko was fatally struck Oct. 28 in an accident involving a man suspected of drunken driving on the northbound 101 Freeway in Camarillo. He was 41.

Authorities said the driver fled but was arrested after crashing about 2 miles from the site of the accident. He was identified by authorities as Kevin Hogrefe, 25, of Camarillo.

Kostiuchenko had a degree in Near Eastern languages and spoke five, including Farsi and German. He was once a lieutenant commander in the Ukrainian military and met his wife, an FBI agent, when he was sent to work with the agency on an international money laundering case.

In fact, it was his love for Maura Kelley, his wife, that brought him to the United States, according to KCAL9's Cristy Fajardo.

"There was no bad in Eugene. No evil. There was only good. He was the rock. He was our strength. Our foundation. He was the center of the circle, and we were enriched by his glow. He was my whole life," Kelley said.

Kostiuchenko was an 11-year veteran of the force.

"How lucky are all of us that have had our lives touched by Eugene?" Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said. "And I know I speak for every single person in here and those that couldn't be here when I say it's a privilege to be here to honor his life and pay tribute to the sacrifice he made."