By Redaccion
redaccion@latinocc.com
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Austin Allen Eis, 26, of Camarillo, pleaded guilty to 10 felony charges related to a series of violent attacks on April 18, 2023.
His plea includes first-degree murder, multiple counts of premeditated attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and false imprisonment by violence.
Eis admitted to using a vehicle and a knife as deadly weapons, as well as inflicting great bodily injury. All charges he pleaded guilty to qualify as strike offenses under California law.
Crime spree and fatal attack
On April 18, 2023, Eis assaulted a Walmart greeter in Simi Valley, spitting, pepper spraying, and stabbing him multiple times before dragging another employee across the store. He then broke into his parents’ home in Camarillo while armed with a replica firearm and a knife, demanding access to additional weapons before fleeing.
Shortly after, Eis intentionally drove into a group of Westlake High School students standing on a sidewalk, killing 15-year-old Wesley Welling and injuring several others. Witnesses reported that he accelerated toward the students before striking them with his vehicle, which overturned after hitting a bus stop. Several victims required surgeries and extensive medical treatment.
Investigators revealed that Eis had a history of violent threats and admiration for mass murderers. Messages and communications showed that he had been planning violent acts for years.
Prosecution and sentencing
Senior Deputy District Attorney Amber Lee, from the Major Crimes Homicide Unit, prosecuted the case.
“The District Attorney’s offer was designed to reflect the full scope and severity of the defendant’s depraved actions,” Lee said. “This disposition allows the dozens of victims to close this chapter of their lives without reliving the trauma through courtroom testimony.”
Eis is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2025. He remains in custody without bail and faces 85 years to life in state prison.
