Police arrested a 34-year-old Simi Valley man after a woman was choked and others were hurt.
SIMI VALLEY, CA — A man was arrested after police said he attacked a woman inside a Target store Wednesday evening, choking her near checkout before shoppers and store workers stepped in and officers found him in the grocery section.
The attack at the Target at 51 Tierra Rejada Road drew a fast response from customers, loss prevention workers and Simi Valley police. Authorities identified the suspect as Rejean Tabor, 34, of Simi Valley. He was booked into the Ventura County Main Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, burglary, assault, battery and cruelty or unjustifiable pain to a minor.
Officers were called to the store around 6 p.m. June 17 after reports of a disturbance inside the building. Police said Tabor entered the store and immediately began choking a female customer who was standing near a checkout counter. Cellphone video showed other people rushing toward the attack. A woman who tried to help was thrown off, and two men then moved in as the struggle spread through the store. “He was choking her, she was almost dead,” a woman said in the video. Andy Garbe, one of the shoppers who intervened, said he saw a woman on the attacker’s back while the victim was being choked.
Garbe said his 15-year-old son, Grant, recorded the confrontation while also watching over his 4-year-old sister. After the first victim was freed, witnesses said the suspect moved toward the produce area and attacked a 16-year-old boy who had his back turned. Garbe said he followed and stepped in again. “So then I jumped back in and started fighting him again in grocery, threw him down and broke it up,” Garbe said. Police said Target employees began an emergency evacuation while officers responded. The suspect was later found in the grocery section, where police said he had been throwing merchandise. He was taken into custody without incident.
The first victim was taken to a local hospital by family members or friends and was listed in stable condition Thursday, authorities said. Several other customers, including the juvenile, suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene before being released. Garbe said he had scratches after the fight. Police said investigators determined the woman who was first attacked did not know Tabor, and no prior relationship between them had been found. Authorities have not released a motive. The cellphone video became a central piece of public attention because it showed how quickly the attack moved from the checkout area to other parts of the store.
The arrest also drew questions about Tabor’s recent contact with law enforcement. Police said he had been released from custody two days before the Target attack after an earlier arrest in March involving allegations of indecent exposure and assaulting an officer. Public arrest records also list prior arrests on suspicion of offenses including burglary, petty theft, resisting or obstructing an officer, drug possession and shoplifting. Those records reflect arrests, not convictions. In the Target case, police said he was arrested on suspicion of several felony counts tied to the alleged choking, the store disturbance and injuries to people who tried to stop the attack.
The case now moves through Ventura County’s criminal process. Police said the investigation remains active, and additional evidence may include witness statements, store security video, cellphone footage and medical records from the injured victims. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors had filed formal charges by Friday morning. Tabor remained identified by police as the suspect in the Target attack, but he is presumed innocent unless convicted in court. Authorities had not announced a court date, bail status or whether a public defender or private attorney had been assigned.
Inside the store, witnesses described a fast and chaotic scene that sent shoppers away from checkout lanes and into emergency movement. Grant Garbe said he was proud of his father for stepping in. He said people at the scene believed the first victim could have died if no one had acted. Police said customers and store employees helped limit further injury before officers arrived. The attack happened in a busy retail area near the Simi Valley and Moorpark border, where the Tierra Rejada Road store serves families, commuters and nearby neighborhoods.
As of Friday, June 19, the woman first attacked was expected to recover, and police had not reported any additional arrests. The next public milestone is expected from prosecutors or court records as the attempted murder case is reviewed.
Author note: Last updated June 19, 2026.