Ventura County Sheriff – Incident Press Release
On October 26, 2018, at about 2:12 AM, the Ventura County Fire Department received a call of a fire alarm at the Moorpark Marketplace shopping center in the city of Moorpark. Fire department personnel responded and observed smoke coming from the roof of the building. They were able to access the area and extinguish the fire.
Arson investigators from both the Ventura County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office responded to the location. Their investigation determined the fire was the result of arson. There was minimal fire damage to the building, however damage caused by fire sprinklers was estimated to be in excess of $100,000.
At the conclusion of a lengthy investigation, (S) Harry Kulakjian and (S) Issa Khoury were identified as suspects in the crime. Kulakjian was the owner of Mission Burrito and Khoury is the owner of Brick Oven Pizza, which were both located in the affected building at the Moorpark Marketplace when the crime was committed.
Investigators submitted the case to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for review. Prosecutors elected to file several felony counts of arson, conspiracy, and insurance fraud against the two suspects.
Kulakjian and Khoury are scheduled to be arraigned in Ventura County Superior Court on Thursday, March 5, 2020.
Shortly before 2:30 this morning a arsonist attempted to burn down a strip mall at the Moorpark Marketplace. Multiple gas cans were found on the roof. Fire damage was minimal. No suspects detained. pic.twitter.com/3sNDUVXFsw
— VCscanner (@VCscanner) October 26, 2018