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Drew Carey Speaks Out Following the Death of His Ex-Fiancée Amie Harwick: 'She Was a Positive Force'

Drew Carey is mourning the death of his ex-fiancée Amie Harwick.

“Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime,” Carey, 61, tells PEOPLE in a statement.

“She was positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist. I am overcome with grief. I would like to thank you in advance for giving myself and everyone who loved Amie privacy while we try to work through this tragic situation,” Carey adds.

On Saturday at 1:15 p.m., police responded to the 2000 block of Mound Street in Hollywood Hills on an alarming call of a “woman screaming,” the Los Angeles Police Department revealed in a press release obtained by PEOPLE.

When officers arrived on the scene, they were met by Harwick’s roommate on the street, who told police that she was being assaulted by an ex-boyfriend.

RELATED: Drew Carey’s Ex-Fiancée Therapist Amie Harwick Dies After Fall from Balcony

The roommate explained that when the assault began, he “jumped a wall and went to a neighboring residences to call for help.”

Police then went to check the residence and found Harwick, a well-known therapist, unresponsive, lying on the ground beneath a third story balcony.

Drew Carey and Amie Harwick | Instagram
Drew Carey and Amie Harwick | Instagram

Officers shared that Harwick was “gravely injured.”

“She suffered significant injuries consistent with a fall,” police said in the press release.

Warwick was later transported to a nearby hospital where she later died. She was 38.

An investigation into the incident revealed possible evidence of a struggle upstairs as well as forced entry.

“A canvass of the area located further evidence of an intruder entering the property and leaving after the murder,” police said in the press release.

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Before her death, police say Harwick had expressed fear about a former boyfriend and had previously filed a restraining order against this person.

At the time of the incident, the restraining had expired and Harwick had seen her ex just two weeks before.

Hours after the assault, police arrested the suspect (Harwick’s former boyfriend) 41-year-old Gareth Pursehouse in Playa Del Rey. He was charged with murder, police said in the press release.

Pursehouse is currently being held on a $2 million bail, according to inmate records, and a scheduled court appearance is not immediately available.

In January 2018, PEOPLE confirmed that Price Is Right host Carey proposed to Harwick, authored The New Sex Bible for Women. The couple ended their engagement later that year.

In her final Instagram post, shared on Friday, Harwick wrote to her followers about pressures felt on Valentine’s Day, as well as the importance of loving friendships.

“Many people are celebrating love today,” she wrote. “Whether you are in a relationship or not, exposure to this could feel overwhelming if you are in an unhealthy relationship, dissatisfied with your relationship status, unhappy in your relationship, or feeling pressure to be in a relationship.”

She added: “I think that Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to be mindful and redirect thoughts about love to platonic love. There is so much cultural emphasis on romantic love, but let’s be thankful for the authentic love that we give and receive to friends. 💕”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.