LOS ANGELES, CA – A married couple was found dead inside a Newbury Park home in Thousand Oaks after a family member requested a wellness check, prompting an investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau and Thousand Oaks investigators.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said its Communications Center received a call at approximately 11:11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21, from a person who said he had been unable to reach his family members for a period of time.
The request brought deputies assigned to the Thousand Oaks Patrol Division to a residence in the unit block of Lucas Court in Newbury Park, where they found a deceased man and woman inside the home. The couple was identified as Aleksander Tukalski, 89, and Kazia Berlach Tukalska, 86.
The two were married and were associated with the residence, according to information released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives Begin Death Investigation
After the couple was discovered, detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau and the Thousand Oaks Police Department began investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Sheriff’s Office is part of Ventura County’s public-safety system, which includes patrol services for Thousand Oaks as well as specialized investigative units. The county identifies Major Crimes Investigations among the specialized services operated through the Sheriff’s Special Services Division.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the property as they worked to collect evidence and establish what occurred inside the residence.
An investigator from the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded to the scene and worked with detectives during the investigation.
A firearm was recovered from the home.
Authorities have not said who owned the firearm or publicly established whether the weapon was involved in the deaths. The recovery of a firearm is part of the evidence documented in the investigation, but officials have not announced a final determination connecting it to the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths.
Cause and Manner of Death Remain Undetermined
The official cause and manner of death for both Tukalski and Tukalska have not yet been determined.
The Medical Examiner’s Office is responsible for determining the cause and manner of deaths that fall under its jurisdiction in Ventura County. County materials explain that the cause of death refers to the injury or disease that produces the sequence of events resulting in death, while the manner of death classifies how the circumstances surrounding the death contributed to it.
That distinction is significant in this case because investigators have not publicly announced whether the deaths were accidental, natural, suicides, homicides or otherwise undetermined.
The Medical Examiner’s examination is expected to provide information that will help investigators establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Authorities also have not publicly disclosed how long the couple had been dead before deputies arrived at the Lucas Court residence.
Authorities Say There Is No Ongoing Threat
Although detectives recovered a firearm and are continuing to examine the circumstances of the deaths, authorities said they believe the incident was isolated.
The Sheriff’s Office said investigators do not believe there is an outstanding threat to the public.
The statement indicates that investigators have not identified an ongoing danger to other residents connected to the case. The investigation, however, remains active while detectives and the Medical Examiner’s Office work to determine exactly what happened.
The County of Ventura’s public safety resources list the Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes investigations and related law-enforcement services among the agencies responsible for public safety throughout the county.
Couple Identified by Authorities
The Sheriff’s Office identified the deceased as Aleksander Tukalski and Kazia Berlach Tukalska.
According to the information released by investigators, Tukalski was 89 and Tukalska was 86. Both were residents associated with the Newbury Park location where deputies conducted the wellness check.
The initial response began with a family member’s inability to reach the couple. That call led deputies to the residence, where the deaths were discovered and the investigation began.
Investigators then secured the property, obtained a search warrant and coordinated with the Medical Examiner’s Office while evidence was collected.
Investigation Remains Ongoing
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Major Crimes Detective Mitchell Peterson at (805) 384-4728 or by email at [email protected].
Information can also be provided anonymously through Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
The case remains classified as a death investigation. The final cause and manner of death will depend on the Medical Examiner’s findings and the continuing work of detectives.
For now, authorities have characterized the deaths as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public while investigators work to establish a complete account of what happened inside the Newbury Park home.
