Boy, 13, killed in Ventura County train crash identified

The 13-year-old who died after being struck by a train in Simi Valley has been identified as a loving, sports-crazed boy who had a special relationship with his three brothers and his parents. The Simi Valley Youth Baseball League posted on social media a message honoring the life of Reis Beck, who passed away this weekend. Authorities in Simi Valley confirmed that a report of a train striking a person on an electric bicycle came in at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. When first responders arrived on scene, the railroad crossing on East Los Angeles Avenue near Sequoia Avenue, they found Beck; however, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. According to the preliminary investigation, the 7th grader was riding a “two-wheeled motorized device” when he failed to stop in time at the railroad crossing and was subsequently struck by a passing Amtrak train. “The Simi Valley Police Department is saddened to report the tragic death of a 13-year-old Simi Valley resident who was involved in a collision with an Amtrak train [on Saturday],” the department said in a community alert. “This is a heartbreaking loss for the Simi Valley community, and our thoughts are with the family, friends and classmates affected by this tragedy.” Beck wasn’t immediately identified by name but authorities said Sunday that he was a student within the Simi Valley Unified School District. It was later confirmed he attended Sinaloa Middle School; many community members were seen outside the school on Monday in tears as grief counselors were dispatched to the campus. KTLA 5's Jillian Smukler spoke with several people about Reis, including his father Landon, who explained that his 13-year-old son was one of four boys and a sports fanatic who had a special relationship with his dad. Landon also coached Reis in baseball for several years. "He was rough. He played rough, he loved sports, he loved competition," Beck said in a phone interview. "He, like all of our boys, also had a sensitive side -- he had an intuition and an ability to read feelings." "The other day, he said 'Dad I know you're so stressed right now so I don't want to bog you down with helping me with my bike," he added through tears. "He just knew." Smukler also spoke with a custodian at the elementary school Beck attended. Emotional, he described Reis and his family as "very sports-oriented and loving," adding that Reis' mother would often come up to him and hug him while joking with him about delaying his retirement until all of her boys finished school. A man who lives across the street from the school lamented on the young boy's death and remarked that more needs to be done to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. "It makes you sad to hear anyone who gets killed like that," the man, Tim Conrad, said. "I would look into a lot of things before you just jump out and buy [an electric bike]." In their social media post on Monday, the Simi Valley Youth Baseball League described Beck as “more than a talented ballplayer.” “He was a beloved son, brother, teammate and a true friend to so many,” the post says. “His love for the game was evident every time he stepped on the field, but it was his kindness, his energy and his unforgettable smile that truly made him special.”  “There are no words that can fully express the heartbreak of losing someone so young, with so much life ahead of him,” the post continues. “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 baseball league asked the public to keep the Beck family in their thoughts and prayers and “surround them with love and support.”  The league also advised players and their families to lean on each other, since grief is “something no one should carry alone.” A memorial has been set up inside Sinaloa Middle School, where the young boy's friends and classmates were writing down their favorite memories of Reis. In the wake of their son's death, both Landon and his wife said they weren't aware of just how much of an impact Reis had on the community. They also remarked that, through their strong faith and togetherness, they will get through the grieving process as a family. Click here to donate to a GoFundMe set up to help the Becks.