| Maria Elena Villalobos, 18, has just started her first semester at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles.
She was sitting in the front car on Friday, on her way home to Moorpark, and was killed in the crash, her aunt Veronica Gonzalez said.
"She was just the sweetest, kindest, always-trying-to-help-everyone person you would ever meet," Gonzalez said Saturday afternoon after a frantic night and day searching local hospitals looking for information about her niece.
Villalobos, who graduated from Moorpark High School in June, was exceedingly excited to have been accepted at FIDM, said Barbara Lubaczewski, her former guidance counselor. She was one of those kids who knew what she wanted to do in life.
In addition to sewing her prom dress, Villalobos designed and made 15 dresses for the big, pre-prom senior fashion show in April, said Donna Whitelaw, a Moorpark High School teacher who also oversees the annual event.
Villalobos traveled to Los Angeles to buy the fabric using about $800 raised through donations and bake sales, Whitelaw added.
"Her style was very feminine, with ruffles and lace and bows and interesting backlines," Whitelaw said of the resulting gowns. "They were not at all ‘high school; she had already grown so far beyond that."
The gowns, Whitelaw added, will be on display during Villalobos rosary this weekend |
