Authorities identified the 13-year-old who died after being struck by a train on April 25.
Reis Beck was from Simi Valley, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office. He died of multiple blunt force injuries, and his death was ruled an accident.
Reis was riding an electric bicycle, or e-bike, on a sidewalk along Sequoia and Los Angeles Avenue around 6:30 p.m. when he allegedly failed to stop in time for the incoming Amtrak train, the Simi Valley Police Department previously said.
Despite efforts to treat him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 13-year-old was a seventh grade student at Sinaloa Middle School, said Jake Finch, a spokesperson for the Simi Valley Unified School District.
An informal memorial was held at the school’s flagpole on April 27, where flowers and notes brought in by students and parents were placed, Finch said. The items were later moved to a more secure location as winds picked up, she added.
It is too early to tell if the school plans to hold a formal event in remembrance of Reis, the spokesperson said.
Simi Youth Baseball, which Beck participated in, shared a post remembering him on the organization’s official Instagram page on April 27.
“Reis was more than a talented ballplayer—he was a beloved son, a brother, a teammate and a true friend to so many,” the post read. “As a community, we are grieving together, holding tight to the memories he gave us and the impact he had on each of our lives.”
The organization is also holding a fundraiser for Reis’s family at Cronies Sports Grill in Simi Valley on April 30.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Simi Valley middle schooler ID’d as victim of fatal Amtrak crash
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
