The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a Vans RV-10, a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft with four seats that is sold in kit form and typically home-built. The plane departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and was traveling to Camarillo Airport when it crashed in Simi Valley, according to the FAA. The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot and one passenger were killed as well as a canine that was in the plane. The identities of the victims had not been released as of Sunday afternoon. The accident happened around 2 p.m. in the 200 block of High Meadow Street in the Wood Ranch area of Simi Valley. The FAA and NTSB are investigating. The plane crashed in the backyard and dining room of Arman and Armineh Hovakemian. Arman Hovakemian said he was doing yardwork when he noticed the plane above, circling lower and lower in the hillside neighborhood. Fearful that the plane was spiraling toward his home, he ran inside to get his wife and their Pomeranian, Koko. A loud bang followed and the fuselage landed where he had stood in the yard, he said. Firefighters work at the site of the plane crash. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) The smell of gas filled the air and the side of their home caught fire, he said, prompting the couple to flee as neighbors called 911. “I’m overwhelmed,” Arman Hovakemian said, standing in the street as dozens of firefighters and police officers surrounded his home. A light rain misted the street as neighbors watched a firetruck with a ladder hoisted over the Hovakemians’ residence. “I’m numb. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “We’re fortunate we were able to get out.” The plane’s movements just before the crash alarmed some residents. In security video taken by a neighbor that was viewed by The Times, the craft can be heard circling the neighborhood for nearly three minutes and flying close to homes at points. In another video, the plane can be seen shooting straight up into the clouds before dropping down again. The other home damaged by the plane belongs to P.J. Van Kralingen and his wife, Iris. The couple were at the Getty Center when they got a text about the crash. Two of their three dogs somehow escaped the home during the incident and are still missing, said P.J. Van Kralingen, standing in the street. Still, he expressed gratitude that no one was home at the time. The plane shattered windows in their family room, which is where his wife’s parents, who live with the couple, usually sit. “It’s a little bit unsettling,” he said. He said officials told him he couldn’t enter the home for at least 24 hours because NTSB needed to come to the site. NTSB was at the scene Sunday removing wreckage. Officials expect the full investigation into the accident to take between 12 and 18 months. Times staff writer Queenie Wong contributed to this report. Dakota Smith covers City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. She is part of the team that won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news for reporting on a leaked audio recording that upended City Hall politics. She joined the newsroom in 2016 and previously covered City Hall for the Los Angeles Daily News. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College and lives in Los Angeles. Nathan Solis reports on breaking news with the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times. California Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited access Site Map A small plane crashed into a Simi Valley neighborhood on the afternoon of May 3 killing two people who were in the aircraft and hitting two homes that subsequently caught fire a passenger and a dog in the aircraft died the Simi Valley Police Department reported in the evening The identities of the individuals were not reported pending notification of next of kin according to preliminary reports from the Ventura County Fire Department The street cuts east from South Wood Ranch Parkway in the Wood Ranch area County Director of Airports Keith Freitas said he understands the plane departed from the General William J and was headed to the Camarillo Airport before the crash "We believe it's an aircraft based at the Camarillo Airport," he said Initial callers had reported that a hillside was on fire along with a plane Firefighters subsequently arrived and reported a plane into a structure with smoke showing Chris Johnson said officers found the small plane in the backyard of a residence fixed-wing aircraft crashed into two houses Residents were inside both of the homes at the time and were evacuated Both houses were impacted by fire and sustained structural damage firefighters were still carrying out overhaul and salvage operations The plane was so badly damaged it was difficult to identify the wreckage as an aircraft Police officials said the department had received a report from the Point Mugu Air Traffic Control regarding a possible plane crash It was described by the National Transportation Safety Board as a Vans RV-10 The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation The police department advised motorists to avoid the area Officials warn people to stay clear of area in Simi Valley after two homes sustained structural damage from collision A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley on Saturday afternoon killing two people and a dog onboard the aircraft and damaging two homes Fire crews responded, and police cordoned off the streets, warning people to stay clear of the area. Smoke could be seen billowing from the roof of one home in the Wood Ranch section of the community, which lies nearly 50 miles (80km) north-west of Los Angeles Wreckage could be seen between the two homes The Ventura county fire department confirmed that residents were inside at the time but said they evacuated with no reported injuries Both homes sustained structural damage and were affected by the fire the Simi Valley police department said the pilot a passenger and a dog in the airplane died authorities had not released any information about the occupants of the single-engine Van’s RV-10 which is a popular homebuilt plane sold in kit form They also did not say what might have caused the crash The plane crashed into the backyard and dining room of Arman Hovakemian’s home Hovakemian told the Los Angeles Times that he was doing yard work when he noticed the plane above circling lower and lower in the hillside neighborhood A loud bang followed and the fuselage landed where he had been standing in the yard just moments before It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Hovakemian said on Saturday as dozens of firefighters and police officers surrounded his home “We’re fortunate we were able to get out.” In security video recorded by a neighbor that was viewed by the Times the plane can be heard circling the neighborhood for nearly three minutes and flying close to homes at points the plane can be seen shooting straight up into the clouds then dropping down again another Van’s RV-10 crashed into a warehouse in Fullerton killing the pilot and his teenage daughter and injuring 19 people in the building A preliminary report issued by the NTSB said that plane appeared to have had a door ajar during flight It will likely be weeks before the NTSB releases preliminary findings on the Simi Valley crash Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The incident occurred on the afternoon of Saturday A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley on Saturday afternoon killing one person aboard the aircraft and damaging two homes LOS ANGELES − Two people were killed on when a small plane crashed into homes in a Simi Valley neighborhood The plane struck two homes in the Wood Ranch neighborhood of the suburb just before 2 p.m according to the Ventura County Fire Department The department said in a statement posted to Facebook that the two unnamed occupants of the plane were killed in the crash The Federal Aviation Administration told USA TODAY in a May 4 statement that the Vans RV-10 departed from William J Fox Airfield in Lancaster and was heading to Camarillo Airport The Ventura County Star − a part of the USA TODAY Network − reported that initial callers indicated that a hillside was on fire along with a plane The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the crash (This story was updated to include video.) 2025 12:53PMOne person is dead after a small plane crashed into homes Saturday in Simi Valley home-built kit airplane crashed in Simi Valley An unidentified pilot was the only occupant of the Vans RV-10 that crashed near High Meadow Street and Wood Ranch Parkway around 2:10 p.m. Ventura County Fire Department Public Information Officer Andrew Dowd told reporters at a news conference Some 40 firefighters were dispatched and put out the flames There were people inside the two homes at the time of the crash Shelby Joice told ABC News she lives across the street from where the plane crashed She said she and her mother were watching TV when they heard what sounded like a helicopter passing over we heard a big crash and our entire house started shaking We actually thought something crashed into our house," Joyce said massive fireball" and black plumes of smoke The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation and work with the FAA Simi Valley is located about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles 2025 6:45PMTwo people and a dog are dead after a small plane crashed into homes Saturday in Simi Valley catching fire and killing two people and a dog onboard The Vans RV-10 that crashed near High Meadow Street and Wood Ranch Parkway around 2:10 p.m. NOTE: The Ventura County Fire Department initially said it believed the pilot was the only person onboard Simi Valley PD said two people and a dog died "Simi Valley PD in coordination with the medical examiners office has verified there were two passengers in the aircraft both of whom were fatally injured in the accident," the fire department said in a statement ABC News' Matthew Holroyd contributed to this report killing 2 people and a dogAssociated Press Full Screen1 / 3Previous photoNext photoFirefighters work at the site of a plane crash in the Wood Ranch section of Simi Valley Terrill)Firefighters work at the site of a plane crash in the Wood Ranch section of Simi Valley Terrill)Copyright 2025 The Associated Press Firefighters work at the site of a plane crash in the Wood Ranch section of Simi Valley SIMI VALLEY – A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley on Saturday afternoon killing two people and a dog aboard the aircraft and damaging two homes Smoke could be seen billowing from the roof of one home in the Wood Ranch section of the community which lies nearly 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that residents were inside at the time but said they evacuated with no reported injuries Both homes sustained structural damage and were impacted by the fire the Simi Valley Police Department said the pilot authorities had not released any information about the occupants of the single-engine Van's RV-10 which is a popular home-built plane sold in kit form The plane crashed into the backyard and dining room of Arman Hovakemian's home. Hovakemian told the Los Angeles Times that he was doing yard work when he noticed the plane above It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Hovakemian said Saturday as dozens of firefighters and police officers surrounded his home In security video recorded by a neighbor that was viewed by the Times An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board also was on the scene Saturday NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson said once the wreckage of the plane is documented it will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation Investigators also will be combing through the plane's maintenance records recordings of any air traffic control communications the pilot's background and any surveillance video that might have captured the aircraft In January another Van's RV-10 crashed into a warehouse in Fullerton, which is southeast of Los Angeles, while trying to make an emergency landing, killing the pilot and his teen daughter and injuring 19 people in the building. A preliminary report issued by the NTSB said that plane appeared to have had a door ajar during flight. It will likely be weeks before the NTSB releases preliminary findings on the Simi Valley crash. A final report comes months later. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group — A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley on Saturday afternoon killing a person aboard the aircraft and damaging two homes which lies nearly 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles Authorities did not release any information about the pilot of the single-engine Van's RV-10 which is a popular home-built airplane sold in kit form In January another Van's RV-10 crashed into a warehouse in Fullerton killing the pilot and his teen daughter and injuring 19 people in the building An unidentified pilot was the only occupant of the Vans RV-10 that crashed near High Meadow Street and Wood Ranch Parkway around 2:10 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said. The pilot died in the crash, Ventura County Fire Department Public Information Officer Andrew Dowd told reporters at a news conference. Some 40 firefighters were dispatched and put out the flames, according to the fire department. There were people inside the two homes at the time of the crash, but they were not hurt, Dowd said. Shelby Joice told ABC News she lives across the street from where the plane crashed. She said she and her mother were watching TV when they heard what sounded like a helicopter passing over. "All of a sudden, we heard a big crash and our entire house started shaking. We actually thought something crashed into our house," Joyce said. She said they witnessed a "big, massive fireball" and black plumes of smoke. The plane departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and was heading to Camarillo Airport, according to the FAA. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation and work with the FAA. Simi Valley is located about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles. ©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. (new Image()).src='https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9c70969a-1597-42dd-9980-f3d56f4c8b56&cid=8d6b4040-04c9-4ad0-aa63-766b9eb4e9b9';cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({playerId:"9c70969a-1597-42dd-9980-f3d56f4c8b56",mediaId:"3d91bd28-023f-4d1c-b215-759cef27db84"}).render("79eda1d658ac481388cba8a4ef35e8b3");}); At 1:51 p.m., around 40 firefighters rushed to the Wood Ranch community of Simi Valley after reports that a plane had struck two homes, sending up visible smoke. The Simi Valley Police Department alerted the public at 2:40 p.m. to avoid the area near High Meadow Street, as emergency crews responded. “A Vans RV-10 crashed near High Meadow Street and Wood Ranch Parkway in Simi Valley, California, around 2:10 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 3,” said the FAA. “The plane departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and was heading to Camarillo Airport. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.” According to KNN, a nearby homeowner had just stepped away after spotting the plane flying erratically. “He went to tell his wife about it, and the plane plummeted and slammed into the exact location where he was trimming vegetation,” the outlet reported. “The man narrowly escaped death when the plane hit and his home erupted in flames.” Initially, the Ventura County Fire Department reported one fatality. By 8 p.m., they confirmed both the pilot and a passenger were killed, along with a dog. Officials said the crash sparked fires that spread to two homes, both occupied at the time. The residents escaped without injury, but the structures suffered significant damage. The victims’ identities have not yet been released. Investigators expect to take weeks for preliminary findings. Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. 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A Simi Valley woman who allegedly accosted an unlicensed street vendor pushing the pregnant vendor to the ground with the food cart on April 14 The interaction between the two women took place around 4:30 p.m that day in a residential neighborhood near the intersection of Torrance Street and Brandon Avenue according to the Simi Valley Police Department Callers had reported a local resident pushed the vendor down Both parties were still at the scene when officers arrived Police investigators determined the 56-year-old suspect had confronted the vendor over concerns about operating without a permit and allegedly selling unsafe food, the department said in a news release issued April 18 The suspect reportedly blocked the vendor's path the suspect "pushed the food cart into the vendor causing her to fall" and suffer minor injuries The victim declined medical treatment at the scene One of the attorneys representing the victim provided video of the incident to The Star The footage includes cell phone video taken by the vendor as well as video from a neighboring home's security camera "I told you and told you: I don't want you down this street," the suspect is heard saying at the start of the cell phone footage She can be seen standing at the opposite end of the pushcart candy and other items are visible in the footage The two are standing on the side of the roadway indicating she is going to continue along the street stands in front of the cart and tells the vendor no The footage shows the suspect putting her hand on a box on the cart "You're not coming down this street anymore," she tells the vendor with the vendor requesting in Spanish to pass by and the suspect telling her no "I told you not to come down this street anymore," the suspect says The security camera footage from a nearby home which captured the interaction from a distance appears to show the suspect pushing the cart as the vendor is walking backward The victim falls from view behind the cart She soon gets up and other people start to gather at the corner was said to be seven months pregnant and claimed the same woman had previously harassed her The lawyers said they intended to file a lawsuit a lawsuit over the matter did not appear in a search of the Ventura County Superior Court website Simi Valley police said a summons had been issued for the suspect to appear in court on May 14 Officials said the case had been forward to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office for further review Prosecutors had not filed charges of April 19 Simi police officials said they encourage "respectful dialogue and lawful behavior" when residents address community concerns They asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department at 805-583-6950 Editor's Note: The pilot and a passenger were killed in the crash A small plane crashed into two Simi Valley homes on Saturday afternoon Residents evacuated unharmed but an occupant on board the plane is believed to be dead the small plane crashed in the 200 block of High Meadows Street said Simi Valley Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Chris Johnson A resident told RMG News he saw the plane come over the top of Wood Ranch Parkway from the south “flying very low and erratic.” He said two minutes went by before he heard the plane crash Two homes were damaged, the Ventura County Fire Department said in a social media post About 40 firefighters responded to the crash the fire department said the firefighters knocked down the fire from the crash and were working on cleaning up the scene Residents were inside both homes at the time of the plane crash and were evacuated with no injuries “Preliminary reports indicate one fatality in the aircraft,” VCFD said on social media In a video posted by ABC7 firefighters stand on the damaged roof of one house Below them lies a yard with scattered tables Authorities have not released information on the number of people inside the airplane or their condition The cause of the plane crash is not yet known and will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration ©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit dailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The new owners of the Simi Valley Town Center have come to the same conclusion as the previous owners: Some of the retail space at the mall should be replaced with housing The Town Center was purchased last year by two real estate firms: Steelwave a commercial real estate company with offices and holdings all over the western United States they submitted a "preliminary conceptual site plan" to the city of Simi Valley outlining a plan to redevelop the property with as many as 375 homes Steelwave and Steerpoint representatives were unavailable for interviews They have met with Simi Valley city officials about their plans and the redevelopment proposal should come before the Simi Valley City Council for a preliminary public hearing in the coming months Additionally, a Steerpoint representative will speak about plans for the site April 10 at a lunch meeting of the Simi Valley Community Council The current site plan is only a single page; the property owners and their architects will provide more detail as the project moves through the city's approval process The plan shows four different housing complexes on the mall property two of them considered high density and two medium density It does not specify whether they would be rental apartments or for-sale condominiums Two of the housing complexes would be built on what are now parking lots A third would replace a vacant building at the east end of the mall that used to be a Macy's The fourth residential complex would be built on land that is now covered by the mall's main indoor stretch of small shops There would still be some retail space on the property The owners' site plan shows a Dick's Sporting Goods as one possibility and a grocery store as another likely option It also calls for smaller commercial buildings to be built in the parking lot of the type that are typically used for small restaurants or bank branches Everyone who has owned the mall in recent years has proposed big changes because the Town Center as it stands has struggled a principal with the private equity firm that owned the Town Center called it "an imploding mall." Vacancy rates have at times approached 50% and the two major anchor spaces have been empty since Macy's left both properties the first in 2017 and the second last year "What they're proposing is a model we've seen across the U.S. incorporating housing into malls that have lost some retail," said Luis Garibay "I think the key is finding the right mix of retail and housing Having people live there who can be potential customers city officials say business has stabilized The sales tax revenue from the mall is about the same as it was last year except for the revenue lost when the last Macy's store closed "A lot of the retail inside is still pretty strong and the Studio Movie Grill is doing well," he said The city hasn't taken any position on the idea of housing at the Town Center Previous proposals were abandoned before they ever reached a vote of the City Council But the city is looking for more housing in general and has already approved some developments not far from the mall The next step for the current proposal will be a "pre-screening" before the City Council which will happen "possibly within the next couple of months," said Sean Gibson a city planner and the deputy director of environmental services the City Council evaluates whether it approves of the general idea of the project then the developer can submit a fully detailed plan to the city which will eventually return to the council for a final vote Tony Biasotti is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tbiasotti@vcstar.com This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter (AP) — A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley on Saturday afternoon authorities had not released any information about the occupants of the single-engine Van’s RV-10 The plane crashed into the backyard and dining room of Arman Hovakemian’s home. Hovakemian told the Los Angeles Times that he was doing yard work when he noticed the plane above Investigators also will be combing through the plane’s maintenance records the pilot’s background and any surveillance video that might have captured the aircraft In January another Van’s RV-10 crashed into a warehouse in Fullerton, which is southeast of Los Angeles, while trying to make an emergency landing, killing the pilot and his teen daughter and injuring 19 people in the building. A preliminary report issued by the NTSB said that plane appeared to have had a door ajar during flight Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account 3 teens taken to hospital after Simi police pursuitVentura County StarThree Simi Valley teenagers were injured and transported to a trauma center on April 26 after the stolen vehicle they were riding in went out of control following a police pursuit identified as a 13-year-old girl and two 14-year-old girls the Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement The department said the pursuit began around 2 a.m. after a police officer noticed a vehicle being driven in the area of Erringer Road and Cochran Street with its headlights off After finding the vehicle had been reported stolen through a license plate search police said they tried to initiate a traffic stop but that the vehicle fled Officers said the vehicle ran off the road and rolled over in the area of First and Flower Glen streets near the Simi Valley Town Center more than a mile away from where it was first seen by police The teenagers were detained on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle evading authorities and possession of burglary tools They were transported to a trauma center at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and released to hospital staff and their guardians Federal prosecutors have taken over a 2021 fentanyl overdose death case out of Simi Valley originally pursued by Ventura County authorities The defendant, Simi Valley resident Michael McDevitt, 43, had initially been arrested in September when the Ventura County District Attorney's Office charged him with involuntary manslaughter and narcotics offenses in the death of a Thousand Oaks woman The arrest came three years after the woman's death allegedly from fentanyl McDevitt supplied to her at his home according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office McDevitt and an associate reportedly brought the unresponsive woman to county Fire Station 46 in Simi Valley where life-saving measures were attempted but failed to revive her The Simi Valley Police Department subsequently launched an investigation that included a search of McDevitt's home where fentanyl was found An autopsy by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the woman's cause of death was from acute fentanyl intoxication the DA's office continued to review the case with VC Focus detectives the sheriff's office said in a news release on April 16 After "careful consideration," they approached agents from the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration and presented the case to see if there was interest in a possible federal charge presented it with the Ventura County DA's office to the U.S Attorney's Office in Los Angeles for review Attorney's Office secured an indictment and arrest warrant for McDevitt who had been out on bail since the initial charges were filed On April 11, shortly before 4 p.m., VC Focus detectives and DEA agents arrested McDevitt, who was later booked into federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on a charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death the state case against McDevitt in Ventura County Superior Court was dismissed McDevitt faces a minimum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted due to federal sentencing guidelines He remains in federal custody without bail County residents can reach VC Focus investigators at 805-383-8700 or VCFOCUS@ventura.org about the case or about other narcotics-related information killing one and damaging two homes in the neighbourhood California | Photo: APSimi Valley (California): A small aircraft crashed into a residential neighbourhood here on Saturday afternoon killing one person on board and causing damage to two houses Emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene with fire crews tackling the blaze and police officers blocking access to the area Smoke was seen rising from the roof of one house in the Wood Ranch area located roughly 50 miles (around 80 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles The aircraft wreckage was visible between two homes Officials from the Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that people were inside both residences at the time of the crash and no injuries were reported among the residents they began working on overhaul and salvage operations Authorities did not release any information about the pilot of the single-engine nor did they say what might have caused the plane to crash The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating Such comments are punishable under cyber laws The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of readers and not that of Mathrubhumi A tragic plane crash occurred in Simi Valley claiming the lives of two individuals and a dog aboard the aircraft single-engine plane crashed into two homes in the Wood Ranch community igniting a fire that damaged both residences About 40 firefighters responded to the scene quickly extinguishing the second-alarm fire Homeowner Arman Hovakemian described how he and his wife narrowly escaped their home after noticing the plane flying low and spiraling toward the ground "I came in to the patio door to warn her adding that he tried to extinguish the fire with a hose before retreating due to the smell of gas The Simi Valley Police Department has advised the public to avoid the area catching fire and killing two people onboard "Simi Valley PD in coordination with the medical examiners office has verified there were two passengers in the aircraft both of whom were fatally injured in the accident," the fire department said in a statement We actually thought something crashed into our house," Joyce said massive fireball" and black plumes of smoke ABC News' Matthew Holroyd contributed to this report curators at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley put the finishing touches on a limited exhibit of the Ten Commandments scroll April 10 The scroll will be on public display at 40 Presidential Drive for two weeks, until April 24. It will join the museum as part of the current Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit that has been open since Nov The artifact, also known as 4Q41, was discovered in 1952 in Qumran Cave 4. The Qumran cave system is an archeological site in the West Bank managed by the government of Israel near the Dead Sea, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica The document is believed to be over 2,000 years old and the oldest copy of the Ten Commandments in existence The scroll's two-week stretch will be the first time the artifact has ever been on display in California and only the second time in the United States since 2013 a spokesperson for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation everyone knows about the Ten Commandments," Giller said About 20 members of the media and Reagan library staff crowded around a display case April 10 where the new addition to the exhibit will be housed for its two-week run head of laboratory of the Israel Antiquities Authority stood and took readings of the light in the room with Reagan Library Chief Curator Randle Swan and Facilities Assistant Manager Derek Lyneis to ensure that the brightness humidity and air would not affect the integrity of the artifact Capacity for the museum has been slashed from its usual 2,500 visitors to about 1,600 to protect the document operating hours have been extended from 9 a.m to allow visitors a chance to view the exhibit Guests interested in visiting the limited showing are encouraged to pre-order tickets as opening week tickets are already dwindling Tickets to view the exhibit are available for $39.99 which also gives access to the whole museum For more information, visit www.ReaganLibrary.com/DeadSeaScrolls Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.