Deaths of two women raise city’s homicide total to 88

COLUMBUS – Columbus police say a man accused of shooting his sometime girlfriend to death outside a South Linden home on Wednesday night should be considered armed and dangerous.

Roshan Cumberlander was charged with murder after detectives say he shot Tomika Turner, described as his “on again-off again” girlfriend, during an argument in front of his home at 1141 E. 13th Avenue at approximately 9:59 p.m.,Homicide Unit Sgt. Jeffrey Strayer said.

Officers found Turner, 36, lying in the street, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, and she was taken by Columbus paramedics to Grant Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased at 11:51 p.m., Strayer said.

The initial investigation and witness accounts indicate that Cumberlander, 37, and Turner were arguing in front of the home when Cumberlander pulled out a handgun and shot Turner at close range, Strayer said.

Cumberlander fled in an unknown direction, is still at large and Strayer says he should be considered “armed and dangerous.”

The investigation continues.

Anyone with information regarding the incident or with knowledge of Cumberlander’s whereabouts is asked to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.

This is the 88th homicide of the year in Columbus and follows the death of a woman whose death in a home in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood on the East Side was ruled a homicide, police said.

Police officers and fire personnel were called to a home in the 1100 block of Fassett Avenue at approximately 1:10 p.m. Tuesday and found Ashley Ferguson, 31, who was pronounced dead at the scene, detectives said.

Ferguson’s body was taken to the Franklin County Morgue and the coroner’s office ruled on Wednesday that her death was the result of a homicide.

The investigation continues.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.