The Camarillo man was sentenced to 85 years in a state prison two years ago after crashing a vehicle on a group of Westlake High School students, killing one of them and injuring several others.
Austin Allen Ice, 26, temporarily killed 15-year-old Wesley Welling and left other students “seriously injured,” but Welling’s death was just the pinnacle of a crime explosion, including a shop greeting at Walmart in Simi Valley that he stabbed, but sprayed and erupted on the victims.
He pleaded guilty in February to 10 felony charges, including murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. In a statement issued the verdict that EIS “confirmed targeting students because of personal frustration and desire to commit mass violence,” prosecutors said, “The investigation revealed disturbing evidence that included years of violent ideas, praise from mass murderers and the beliefs of extremists.”
“The defendant committed fear and extreme violence that took the lives of a teenage boy and crushed the lives of many others,” Ventura County District Attorney Eric Nasalenko said after his guilty plea. “There is never a number of guilt to fill the suffering of the victim and his family, but it guarantees the removal of the defendant from society and holds him accountable for his horrifying crime.”
Wesley Welling, 15, can be seen in a family photo. AustinEIS can be seen in this outdated photo provided by the Ventura County Sheriff’s office. Austin Allen EIS, 26, pleaded to 10 felony charges and special allegations of the deaths of 10 severely injured people on February 21, 2025, as well as 10 felony charges and special allegations of the death of 10 compation counties at the time of Wesley Welling’s death. (Ventura County District Attorney’s Office)
During the verdict hearing, Wesley’s mother, Kelly Welling, addressed EIS directly.
“There are no worse nightmares than waking up to this reality, to know that what my son saw is your face,” Kelly said. “You took me the world of my son and the boy who would become a great man. At 15, he was already a man more than ever. You are not seen as powerful. You see your child as a coward who chose to hurt them.
“Everyone else moves on. You go to jail and your lawyer will go to her next case, but Wesley will never come back,” she added. “From this point on, every day has been filled with emptiness. There is no word to explain this pain.”
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