A teenage car passenger who filmed his friend fatally mowing down a retired “Sunbeam” police chief has been caught and arrested.
Las Vegas police previously arrested the 17-year-old driver behind the wheel of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra who intentionally hit 64-year-old Andreas Probst, and on Tuesday they also arrested his accomplice.
Both boys have been charged with murder and will be tried as adults after they targeted Probst as he pedaled down a highway in northwest Las Vegas around 6 a.m. on August 14.
Police said they also linked the teens to at least three hit-and-run incidents on the same day. They believe the killing of Probst, a former police chief in Bell, California, ended the killing spree.
The graphic video shows a dashboard view from the front seat of a vehicle approaching Probst from behind as he drove near the curb on an otherwise traffic-free street.
Andreas Probst (pictured) was fatally struck by a teenage driver in an intentional hit-and-run in Las Vegas on August 14th. Both the driver and his accomplice in the passenger seat, who recorded a sick video of the killing, have now been charged with murder
Probst, 64, was fatally shot while cycling in northwest Las Vegas on August 14. Footage filmed by the passenger shows that he was intentionally killed by the teenage driver
Laughter and comments can be heard from inside the car before Probst, who was wearing a red shirt and dark shorts, was hit and thrown against the windshield.
A final image from the moving car shows the retired top police officer on the ground next to the curb.
Deputy Police Chief Nick Farese called the “intentional” collision with a stolen vehicle and the sick video “a cowardly act that has personally appalled me in my 22 years as a law enforcement officer.”
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said he took a personal interest in the case and vowed to charge both teens as adults. Until then, they will not be identified because of their age, he said.
“Justice will be served in this case,” Wolfson said.
At a news conference Tuesday, Taylor Probst described her father – known as “Andy” to her loved ones – as a man of honor and integrity who worked in law enforcement for more than 35 years.
“We are devastated by Andy’s senseless murder,” she said. “Andy’s life was robbed by two people who didn’t believe the lives of others mattered.”
“We believe Andy’s murder is a direct result of the decline of family values in society and the powerful impact that social media is having on our youth.”
At a news conference Tuesday, Taylor Probst (left) described her father (right) – known to family as “Andy” – as a man of honor and integrity who worked in law enforcement for more than 35 years
“We are devastated by Andy’s senseless murder,” Probst’s daughter said. “Andy’s life was robbed by two people who didn’t believe the lives of others mattered.”
Taylor Probst (second from left) described her father (far right) as “a man of honor and integrity” and “a pillar of the community.”
She added that her family viewed his murder as “a random act of violence” that had nothing to do with his race or profession.
“We ask that you do not politicize Andy’s murder or use it to advance political agendas or spark culture wars,” she said.
Probst added that he was known among his colleagues as a “prankster” who had a dark sense of humor.
“His death should be treated the same way he lived, with honor and integrity, and maybe a dark joke here and there.” Oops! “Too soon,” Andy would say.
Probst called on the DA’s office to “prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
The 17-year-old driver was arrested the day of the crash for traffic violations related to the fatal hit-and-run.
Andreas Probst (pictured surrounded by his family) was fatally struck by a teenage driver in an intentional hit-and-run in Las Vegas on August 14th. Both the driver and his accomplice in the passenger seat, who took a graphic video of the killing, have now been charged with murder
Probst retired to Nevada after resigning as police chief of Bell, California, in 2009
“He was honestly like a ray of sunshine just shining through your life,” said Probst’s daughter Taylor, who was seen with her mother Crystal at a vigil at the scene of the accident
Police said they were initially unaware of the video until weeks later, when a school official provided it to investigators, leading to a murder charge against the driver and a police search for the passenger in the video.
The second teenager was arrested on Tuesday. Police did not provide any information about his age.
According to police, the crime began around 5:30 a.m. when the teens allegedly hit a 72-year-old cyclist before driving off and crashing into a Toyota Corolla.
The driver was not injured in the accident, police said. However, she did not provide any information about what injuries, if any, the cyclist had suffered.
Seconds after hitting the Toyota, the teens plowed into Probst as he rode his bike on a designated bike path, police said.
They took off laughing, Farese said, and “left him dead on the side of the road.”