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The mothers of two teenage boys believed to be behind the sick hit-and-run homicide of a retired police chief in Las Vegas have spoken out after they were both charged as adults.
Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, are suspected of intentionally striking Andreas Probst, 64, while he was riding his bicycle down an empty highway in the northwest of the city at around 6am on August 14.
Ayala was arrested the same day, accused of being the motorist behind the wheel of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra which hit the retired cop.
Meanwhile Keys, who was detained this week following a police appeal for information, is believed to be the passenger who goaded the attack and filmed a sick video.
Ayala has been hit with 18 fresh charges over the incident, including murder, attempted murder, battery with use of a deadly weapon, leaving the scene of an accident, and numerous separate larceny and burglary charges.
Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, are suspected of intentionally striking Andreas Probst , 64, while he was riding his bicycle down an empty highway in the northwest of the city at around 6am on August 14
At a news conference Tuesday, Taylor Probst described her father (pictured) — known by loved ones as ‘Andy’ — as a man of honor and integrity who worked for more than 35 years in law enforcement
His mom has said that she ‘doesn’t know,’ if her son – who was 17 at the time – can be forgiven for his alleged crimes.
She previously told 8 News Now: ‘I don’t know why he did this. I don’t know if God can forgive this.’
Meanwhile Keys, who is believed to have been wearing a face mask at the time of the sick collision, was detained by cops five weeks after the incident.
His mother told 8 News Now via text: ‘My son’s side of the story will be told – “the truth” – not the inaccuracies the media will try to portray.’
The suspects appeared for their arraignment at Las Vegas Justice Court on Thursday afternoon wearing navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniforms.
Ayala, who has a large tattoo on his right cheek, appeared bored in court photographs.
Meanwhile, Keys looked downcast as he listened to Justice of the Peace Rebecca Saxe confirm that there was a legal cause for their arrests.
During an earlier court hearing, two of Keys’ relatives cried, and one of Ayala’s female relatives also attended.
Ayala is accused of being the motorist behind the wheel of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra which hit and killed Probst
Keys, who was detained this week following a police appeal for information , is believed to be the passenger who goaded the attack and filmed a sick video
Probst, 64, was was fatally struck on August 14 while cycling in northwest Las Vegas. Footage filmed by the passenger shows he was intentionally killed by the teenage driver
She shielded her face and held back tears as she walked past reporters outside the courtroom afterwards, according to the Journal.
Ayala has a long criminal history in the juvenile system, according to 8 News Now, while Keys was placed in the child welfare system at eight years old.
Keys’ mother was charged with five counts of child abuse in 2016 after cops found her five children – aged two to nine – home alone without access to food, a knife left on the kitchen counter, and the house in a poor condition, according to the channel.
Police said they also tied the teens to at least three hit-and-run incidents the same day. They believe the slaying of Probst, a former police chief in Bell, California, ended the spree.
Graphic video shows a dashboard view from the front seat of a vehicle approaching Probst from behind while he was riding near the curb on an otherwise traffic-free road.
Laughter and comments from inside the car are heard before Probst, wearing a red shirt and dark shorts, was struck and thrown against the windshield.
A final image from the moving car shows the retired top cop on the ground beside the curb.
At a news conference Tuesday, Taylor Probst (left) described her father (right) — known by loved ones as ‘Andy’ — as a man of honor and integrity who worked for more than 35 years in law enforcement
Deputy Police Chief Nick Farese called the ‘intentional’ hit in a stolen vehicle and the sick video ‘a cowardly act that in my 22 years of law enforcement left me personally appalled’.
At a news conference Tuesday, Taylor Probst described her father — known by loved ones as ‘Andy’ — as a man of honor and integrity who worked for more than 35 years in law enforcement.
‘We are devastated by the senseless murder of Andy,’ she said. ‘Andy’s life was robbed by two individuals who did not believe that lives of others matter.’
Probst urged the DA’s office to ‘take these crimes to the furthest extent of the law’.
