Westlake High student mourned after car plows into teens at bus stop

A 15-year-old freshman at Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks was killed Tuesday when a driver plowed into a group of teens near a bus stop in what officials described as an intentional crash.

Friends remembered Wesley Welling as a joyful person with a bright future.

“During the summers, he would come over here and go swimming in our pool,” said Eric Paul, a close friend of Wesley’s family who created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs. “He was such a bright and happy kid.”

Wesley had been excited to start high school, joining his older sister at Westlake, and talked about attending college, Paul said.

“He had his whole life ahead of him,” Paul said. “It’s awful that this guy yesterday woke up and chose violence.”

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies arrested Austin Eis, 24, in connection with the fatal crash, also linking him to a stabbing at a Walmart in Simi Valley earlier Tuesday. He was booked on seven felony counts, including murder and attempted murder, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Eis is accused of crashing his Toyota Camry into the group of teens just before 2:40 p.m. on Lakeview Canyon Road in Thousand Oaks. Wesley was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Two girls, 14 and 16, were injured in the crash, as well as another 15-year-old boy. All three were also taken to the hospital; two have since been released, and the extent of the third’s injuries is not known, Deputy Wendell Campbell, a Ventura County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, said Wednesday morning.

The victim in the stabbing, a Walmart employee, was taken to the hospital, officials said. The extent of the employee’s injuries was also not immediately clear. Authorities did not disclose a motive for the stabbing or the vehicle attack.

Messages remembering Wesley and offering support to his family poured into the GoFundMe page Wednesday as it quickly surpassed its initial goal of $15,000.

Wesley was the middle child of three, being raised by a single mom, Paul said. They were a close family who often went camping or to the beach.

“They went on so many trips,” Paul said. “They did everything as a big family.”

Wesley’s older sister was at the public bus stop with her brother when he was fatally struck, but she was not injured, Paul said.

Wesley also had a 9-year-old brother, with whom he shared a bedroom.

“He loved being a big brother,” Paul said.

Candles and flowers piled up outside Westlake High School on Wednesday morning, and a vigil has been scheduled for later in the evening, according to KABC-TV Channel 7.

Mental health counselors will be on campuses districtwide Wednesday for students, staff and families, said Supt. Mark McLaughlin of the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

“During this time of unimaginable loss, our thoughts and prayers remain with these students, their families, friends, and the entire Warrior community,” McLaughlin said in a statement to parents.