Mother of Murder Victim Arrives From Ukraine, Confronts Grandson's Trauma

Nadya, the mother of Yana Zikova, who was allegedly murdered by her estranged partner Pablo Falcosh in their Kiryat Haim apartment on Friday, is arriving in Israel from Ukraine with her husband on Wednesday. She spoke for the first time about a conversation with her 6-year-old grandson, who witnessed the murder. "I spoke with the child today. He asked me eight times: Why did Daddy kill Mommy?" Nadya said. The child, a first-grader with special needs, is under the care of the Haifa Municipality's welfare services.

The father of the suspect, Alexander, has also been arrested on suspicion of involvement. New details reveal that after the incident, the suspect's father went to a downstairs neighbor's apartment, asked him to call the police, and the neighbor found Yana in the living room with stab wounds. The child was sitting beside her, crying, and told the arriving officers that his father had stabbed his mother. Both the estranged partner and his father deny involvement, and their detention has been extended until Wednesday.

Nadya expressed her grief, stating, "I can't stop crying. She was my only daughter. I can't comprehend what happened." She mentioned that Yana and Falcosh divorced two years ago. An autopsy is underway, and Nadya plans to bury her daughter in Ukraine. She also noted that she has no place to stay in Israel to mourn her daughter, calling the situation a "heavy, incomprehensible disaster."

The suspect, Falcosh, has had his arrest extended for five days and will undergo psychiatric evaluation at Ma'ale Carmel Mental Health Center due to his mental state and psychiatric history. Neighbors described the relationship between Yana and Falcosh as "complex" and "unclear," noting they were separated and did not live together. Yana was described as a devoted mother who cared for her son, who recently started first grade.

Neighbors reported hearing Yana's screams, with one neighbor taking the child and trying to comfort him while others called emergency services. Another neighbor mentioned that Yana had expressed fear of the suspect, who had caused her problems. Yana and her ex-partner immigrated from former Soviet Union countries, and Yana has no family residing permanently in Israel. The grandmother had recently been in Israel assisting with childcare after recovering from a long rehabilitation period following a car accident.