A 28-year-old man from Modesto died Tuesday night after being struck by a vehicle at the Costco property on West Ventura Boulevard in Camarillo, and the driver now sits in Ventura County Jail facing a murder charge. Witnesses at the scene pointed deputies toward the man behind the wheel, who was detained on the spot.
Dispatchers received a report of a man struck by a vehicle at the Costco lot at around 8:37 p.m. Tuesday, according to abc7.com, which reported the address as 437 W. Ventura Boulevard. The Ventura County Star reported deputies responded to the property at 431 W. Ventura Blvd. around the same time, while KCLU put the incident at around 8:30 p.m. The outlets have not reconciled the discrepancies in address and timing.
Deputies arrived to find witnesses directing them to the driver, identified as 35-year-old Abba Bryski of Agoura Hills, who was detained at the scene, according to KEYT. The 28-year-old victim, also described by the station as a Modesto man, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Murder Charge and Ongoing Investigation
Bryski was arrested and booked into Ventura County Jail on one count of murder, the station's report notes. He also faces a felony charge of resisting an officer, per jail records cited by the Ventura County Star. As of Thursday, Bryski was being held on $3 million bail and was scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court that day, according to the same account.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau has assumed responsibility for the investigation and is actively investigating the incident as a homicide, abc7.com reported. The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death, the outlet added. KCLU reported that investigators have not said what they believe happened, and neither the circumstances leading up to the crash nor the basis for the murder charge have been publicly disclosed, as reported by CBS News.
A Store Still Weeks From Opening
The Camarillo Costco was slated for its grand opening on October 30, with its gas station already operating ahead of the main store's debut, abc7.com reported. The fatal encounter unfolded on a property that, for most residents, had yet to officially open its doors.
CBS News reported that investigators have urged anyone with information to contact Detective Erik Hernandez at 805-384-4729 or Detective Gerardo Cruz at 805-384-4726. The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional details about what led to the crash have been released.
