Homicide suspected in deadly parking lot encounter at Costco

A fatal encounter in the parking lot of a Camarillo Costco is being investigated as a homicide, and the man arrested in connection with the death is an Agoura Hills educator and rabbi, according to The Acorn.

Abba Bryski, 35, of Agoura Hills, was booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of murder after a 28-year-old Modesto man was struck by a vehicle and killed the evening of Oct. 20 near the gas pumps at the Costco property at 431 W. Ventura Blvd. in Camarillo. Jail records show Bryski also faces a felony charge of resisting an officer and was being held on $3-million bail.

The case has drawn attention across the 805 region in part because of the suspect's ties to Agoura Hills: he is the son of Moshe Bryski, a prominent community leader and rabbi at Chabad of the Conejo in Agoura Hills.

What Happened at the Camarillo Costco

Ventura County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the property at about 8:40 p.m. on Oct. 20 after receiving a report that a man had been hit by a vehicle, Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Craig Hennes told The Acorn. When deputies arrived, witnesses directed them to the driver involved in the incident, identified as Bryski. He was detained at the scene and later arrested.

The victim, identified by authorities as a 28-year-old man from Modesto, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An investigator from the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office responded to the hospital and transported the victim to the agency's facility, where the cause and manner of death will be determined.

Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the incident or how the vehicle struck the victim. The investigation remains ongoing, Hennes said.

Bryski was scheduled to appear Oct. 22 in Ventura County Superior Court, according to jail records.

A Suspect With Deep Agoura Hills Roots

The arrest has resonated in Agoura Hills, where the Bryski name is closely associated with one of the community's most established religious institutions. Moshe Bryski has led Chabad of the Conejo in Agoura Hills for decades and is widely known in local civic and interfaith circles. Abba Bryski, described by The Acorn as an educator and rabbi, is his son.

As of the initial reporting, no statement had been issued regarding the charges, and the allegations remain just that — allegations. Under California law, a booking on suspicion of murder is not a conviction, and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office would ultimately decide what formal charges, if any, to file.

Attempts to reach representatives of Chabad of the Conejo were not described in the initial report, and The Acorn noted that authorities had not disclosed additional details about what preceded the encounter in the parking lot.

Detectives Take Over the Case

The response involved multiple units of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. Detectives from the agency's Major Crimes Bureau and the Camarillo Investigations Unit responded to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. The Major Crimes Bureau subsequently took over the case and is investigating the incident as a homicide, The Acorn reported.

The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Erik Hernandez at 805-384-4729 or Detective Gerardo Cruz at 805-384-4726.

The medical examiner's determination of cause and manner of death is expected to be a key piece of the ongoing investigation, particularly given that the case began as a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle rather than a conventional assault.

Why the Location Matters

The incident occurred at a Costco property that has been a focal point for Camarillo shoppers for months. The gas station on the lot opened in May while construction continued on the adjacent warehouse store, and a new Costco warehouse at the site was scheduled to open Oct. 30 — just 10 days after the fatal encounter.

The busy gas pumps, where the incident occurred, have drawn steady traffic since opening, and the arrival of the full warehouse was one of the more anticipated retail openings in eastern Ventura County this fall. A death investigation unfolding at the site in the days before its grand opening adds an unsettling note to what had been a routine commercial milestone for the region.

What Comes Next

For Agoura Hills residents, the case is likely to unfold in Ventura County Superior Court, with further proceedings expected in the coming weeks. Key open questions include whether the District Attorney's Office will file formal charges, what the medical examiner concludes about the cause and manner of death, and whether detectives release additional details about the sequence of events in the parking lot.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information can assist investigators directly through the Sheriff's Office contacts listed above. 805.life will continue to follow this story as court proceedings and the investigation progress.

This article is based on reporting by The Acorn. Charges described are accusations; the suspect is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.