OAN’s Taylor Tinsley
5:47 PM – Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Prosecutors have formally charged two Las Vegas teens accused of killing a retired police officer in a hit-and-run.
Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, were arraigned in two separate hearings on Tuesday.
The teens have each been charged with battery with the use of a deadly weapon, attempted murder with the use of a deadly weapon, and murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
64-year-old Andreas Probst was riding his bicycle on August 14th when a car crashed into him from behind.
Detectives were soon able to identify Ayala as the driver, but Keys wasn’t arrested until a month after the incident.
Investigators said they were provided with video of the killing, which was recorded by Keys, after it was shown to an officer by a local high school student. Police said the footage proves that the crime was intentional.
The teens could be heard laughing after they left Probst for dead on the side of the road.
Ayla was arrested and booked on murder charges the same day of the murder. According to his arrest report, Ayala told police he’d get a “slap on the wrist” and would be out of jail in 30 days.
“You think this juvenile sh– is gonna do some sh–? I’ll be out in 30 days. I’ll bet you,” Ayala said. When the officer told Ayala that he’d likely be moved to “adult jail” due to the severity of the crimes, Ayala reportedly said, “It’s just ah, f—ing ah hit-and-run. Slap on the wrist.”
The interaction was allegedly caught on body camera footage.
Police accuse the teens of using multiple stolen vehicles in a string of hit-and-run incidents.
During a press conference last week, police detailed Ayala and Keys’ timeline of events on the day of August 14th:
- At 5:28 a.m., a 72-year-old male bicyclist was struck by a vehicle that was being driven by the two suspects. The victim reported a knee injury but opted out of being taken to the hospital.
- The suspects were spotted by a witness driving recklessly in a stolen vehicle at 6:04 a.m. The witness said they intentionally struck his car.
- Shortly after, police received a call about an unconscious bicyclist who was on the ground and bleeding from his head, later identified as Probst.
- Officers later received a call about the vehicle used in Probst’s killing, which was left abandoned, as well as another stolen car used in a separate incident.
Despite Ayala being 17-years-old at the time of the killing, District Attorney Steve Wolfson vowed to prosecute both teens as adults.
“Justice will be served in this case,” Wolfson said.
Probst worked in law enforcement for 35 years. He retired as the chief of the Bell Police Department in California and was laid to rest on September 9th.
While investigators say Probst’s killing was intentional, his family believes it had nothing to do with his race or career.
“We believe that Andy’s murder is a direct result of society’s decayed family values and the strong effects that social media has on our youth,” Probst’s daughter Taylor said during the briefing. “We, as a family, in no way feel that Andy’s murder was based on race or profession. It was a random act of violence. We ask you to not politicize or use Andy’s murder to fuel political agendas or to create cultural wars.”
The suspects will remain in custody until their next hearing. Alaya’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 10th and Keys is expected to appear in court on November 8th.
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