Man pleads guilty to teen’s death after crashing into Westlake High students during crime spree

A man pleaded guilty to the murder of a 15-year-old boy during a violent crime spree in Ventura County.

Austin Allen Eis, 26, pleaded guilty to 10 felony charges in the death of Wesley Welling, a Westlake High School student and the severe injury of several others, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

On April 18, 2023, the series of violent events began shortly before 3 p.m. when Eis entered a Walmart in Simi Valley and assaulted a store greeter by spitting, pepper spraying, and stabbing him multiple times.

He then dragged another employee across the store. Following this attack, Eis broke into his parents’ home in Camarillo while armed with a replica firearm and a knife, demanding access to additional weapons before fleeing, court documents said.

Shortly after, prosecutors said he intentionally plowed into a group of Westlake High School students who were standing on a sidewalk. The impact killed Welling and injured three others. The surviving victims suffered severe injuries that required surgeries and extensive medical treatment, the DA’s office said.

Witnesses reported seeing Eis accelerate toward the teens before striking them. His car eventually overturned after crashing into a nearby bus stop.

Eis, who had graduated from Westlake High School years earlier, later admitted to “targeting the students out of personal frustrations and his desire to commit mass violence,” court documents said.

Investigators discovered a “long history of violent threats, including admiration for mass murderers and adherence to extremist ideologies. Text messages and communications showed that [Eis] had expressed intentions to carry out acts of violence for years.”

“The defendant committed acts of terror and extreme violence that took the life of a teenage boy and shattered the lives of many others,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “While no number of guilty pleas will ever close the anguish of the victims and their families, they will ensure the defendant’s removal from society and impose accountability for his horrendous crimes.”

On Friday, Eis pleaded guilty to:

• Murder – 1 count
• Attempted murder – 6 counts
• Assault with a deadly weapon (car and knife) – 2 counts
• False imprisonment by violence – 1 count

Special allegations found true include first-degree murder, premeditated attempted murder, the use of a deadly weapon, and the personal infliction of great bodily injury in the commission of a felony.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14. He remains in custody without bail and faces 85 years to life in state prison. During the crime spree, authorities said Eis was a transient who was experiencing homelessness. 

“The District Attorney’s offer was designed to reflect the full scope and severity of the defendant’s depraved actions for a sentence of 85 years to life,” said Amber Lee, a Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney. “The sentence will not only reflect his premeditated and calculated actions after years of homicidal ideations, but also the horrific nature of the crime spree he unleashed on innocent members of our community. This disposition allows the dozens of victims to close this chapter of their lives without reliving the trauma through courtroom testimony.”

In a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend, Welling was described as “a wonderful son, brother, friend who touched the lives of those around him.” He died on his mother’s birthday. 

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