Target Horror: Freed Felon Strikes Again

A repeat offender released just two days earlier walked into a California Target and allegedly nearly choked a stranger to death while families shopped all around her.

Story Snapshot

A 34-year-old man with multiple past arrests allegedly choked a woman at a Simi Valley Target in front of shoppers.
Cellphone video shows bystanders, including a teen, jumping in as the attacker throws people off and the store is evacuated.
Police say the victim did not know her attacker, who had just been released from custody two days before the assault.
The case raises hard questions about soft-on-crime policies, repeat offenders, and basic public safety in everyday stores.

Random attack in a family store shocks Simi Valley

Shoppers in Simi Valley, California, watched an ordinary weeknight Target run turn into chaos when 34-year-old Rejean Tabor allegedly walked into the store and moments later began choking a woman at the checkout line.^[2] Police and witnesses say the woman had never met him before. Cellphone video shows a man with his arm locked around her neck as another woman jumps on his back to try to break the hold.^[3] Families with children were in nearby aisles when the attack began.^[2]

According to the Simi Valley Police Department, Tabor grabbed the woman without warning, put her in a chokehold, and would not let go until other shoppers rushed in.^[2] Witnesses say the victim was turning limp and looked close to passing out as she struggled to breathe.^[3] One clip captures a woman yelling that he was choking her and that she did not know him.^[3] Investigators later confirmed there was no prior connection between the suspect and the victim, backing up that claim.^[4]

Good Samaritans, a teenage son, and a store evacuation

Video and police summaries show several bystanders deciding they could not just stand there and watch.^[3] One father, later identified in reports as Andy Garbe, rushed in along with other men to pull the attacker off the woman.^[3] His teenage son filmed the struggle while trying to keep his younger sister out of danger.^[3] At least one woman who first jumped on the attacker’s back was thrown off and knocked down as she tried to save the victim.^[3]

As the fight spilled into other parts of the store, police say the suspect moved toward the grocery and produce area and then went after a teenage boy with his back turned.^[3] Reports say the teen and other interveners suffered minor injuries while trying to stop him.^[2] Target workers began evacuating shoppers from the building as the struggle continued, escorting families and children out while the suspect reportedly threw items in the grocery aisle.^[2] Officers arrived and arrested him inside the store without further injuries to the public.^[4]

Repeat offender, soft justice, and public safety failures

For many residents, the most alarming detail came after the arrest: officials say Tabor had been released from custody just two days earlier, after a March arrest that included indecent exposure and allegedly assaulting a police officer.^[3] Separate documents shared on social media state he has been arrested at least six times in the past two years, painting a picture of a revolving door in the justice system.^[13] Local coverage notes that this latest incident again involved violence and put innocent people directly in harm’s way.^[2]

😨Woman rescued after violent Simi Valley Target store attack😨
The unprovoked attack occurred on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, around 6:00 p.m.. The suspect, 34-year-old Rejean Tabor of Simi Valley, walked into the store and immediately began choking a female customer standing at a… pic.twitter.com/rSRWYzhZyS

— American Crime Stories (@AmericanCrime01) June 19, 2026

Police booked Tabor into Ventura County Main Jail on charges including attempted murder, burglary, assault, battery, and causing pain or suffering to a minor.^[4] The woman he allegedly choked was taken to the hospital and kept overnight, and she is now reported to be recovering.^[3] Others who stepped in, including at least one minor, were treated for cuts and bruises at the scene and released.^[2] Yet probation and county officials have so far not publicly explained why a man with this record was back on the street so quickly.

What this case says about security, community, and policy

Target has confirmed that store security footage exists and is in police hands, which should back up what witnesses and cellphone video already show.^[3] But many people are looking beyond this one crime and asking why such attacks keep happening in everyday places like big-box stores, grocery chains, and pharmacies. Viral videos of public assaults have become a grim pattern, and people see a common thread: repeat offenders who cycle in and out of custody with little real consequence.^[1]

For conservative Americans, this case highlights several key concerns. First, basic public safety is the most fundamental job of government, and it is failing when a woman can be nearly strangled in a crowded store by a man who walked out of jail days earlier.^[2] Second, policies that favor quick release, light sentences, and endless second chances for serial offenders do not protect families; they embolden violent behavior. Third, law-abiding citizens are again left to fend for themselves, relying on their own courage, awareness, and sometimes self-defense training to survive until police arrive.^[7]