Rabbi Charged with Murder After Fatal Incident at California Costco

A rabbi from Agoura Hills has been arrested and charged with murder after a pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle outside a Costco in Camarillo, California. Abba Avrohom Bryski, 35, faces felony murder and resisting arrest charges.

The incident occurred on the evening of October 20 near the gas pumps of the Costco located on West Ventura Boulevard. Emergency services were dispatched following reports of a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle. The victim, identified as 28-year-old Nicholas Lang of Modesto, was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses at the scene reportedly directed responding sheriff's deputies to Bryski, who was allegedly found in a vehicle parked nearby. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office has charged Bryski with felony murder, which includes a deadly weapon enhancement, and a misdemeanor charge for resisting, obstructing, or delaying police or emergency personnel.

Bryski is being held on $3 million bail and is scheduled for an initial court appearance on October 26 in Ventura Superior Court. Detectives from the sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau have not yet released details regarding the events that immediately preceded the fatal collision, nor have they confirmed Lang's reason for being at the location.

Jail records indicate Bryski is an educator and rabbi. He is the son of Rabbi Moshe Bryski, who leads the Chabad of the Conejo center. However, a broader Chabad-Lubavitch organization has stated that the younger Bryski does not hold an official position within their movement.

The incident took place at the site of a newly constructed Costco warehouse, which was slated to open later in the month. The attached gas station had been operational since May.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Ventura County Major Crimes detectives.