Weapons Charges Filed Against Elyria Woman After Altercation with Boyfriend
An Elyria woman, Tabitha Gurka, 28, is facing serious legal troubles after allegedly brandishing a shotgun during an argument with her boyfriend on October 25. Gurka, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, has been charged with having weapons under disability, a felony offense, following her arrest by Elyria police.
Gurka is currently being held at the Lorain County Jail on a $100,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 5 in Elyria Municipal Court. If Judge Gary Bennett determines there is probable cause, the case may be referred to a Lorain County grand jury for potential indictment.
Police reports detail that officers responded to a menacing complaint just after 3 a.m. on October 25 in the 300 block of Winckles Street. The victim, Gurka’s boyfriend, reported that she had threatened him while armed with a shotgun and was hiding in a detached garage where they had been living for the past three weeks.
Upon arrival, officers located Gurka in the driveway, where she initially screamed at them before retreating into the garage. After several minutes of negotiation, officers were able to persuade her to come outside. During questioning, Gurka claimed that the argument stemmed from a dispute over money and denied possessing a shotgun. However, her boyfriend alleged that she pointed the shotgun at him, and when he attempted to take it from her, she cocked the weapon, prompting him to flee.
Officers subsequently discovered a loaded Black Hawk Industries 12-gauge shotgun in the garage. As a convicted felon, Gurka is legally barred from owning firearms. Her criminal history includes a felonious assault conviction in October 2023 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, for which she received a two-year probation sentence.
After violating her probation, Gurka was ordered in May to enter the Summit County Cliff Skeen Community-Based Correctional Facility for treatment and later mandated to attend the Lorain/Medina Community-Based Correctional Facility in Elyria. Following an order for inpatient drug treatment on July 15, a warrant for her arrest was issued by Judge Kelly Ann Gallagher on August 26 due to her failure to comply with the treatment requirements.
