LAS VEGAS (Scripps News Las Vegas/Court TV) — Two men were sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to killing a bicyclist in an incident caught on camera.
In October, 20-year-old Jesus Ayala and 18-year-old Jzamir Keys each pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 64-year-old Andreas Probst, a retired California police chief. The pair were sentenced in line with their plea agreements: Ayala will serve 20 years to life in prison, Keys will serve 18 years to life.
“There is no excuse for what you two have done and the damage and pain you have caused,” Judge Jacqueline Bluth said.
FILE – Jesus Ayala (left), 18, and Jzamir Keys (right), 16, appear in court in 2023. (Scripps News Las Vegas)
Ayala and Keys were teenagers in 2023 when they stole a Hyundai Elantra from an apartment complex in Las Vegas, then intentionally struck Probst. Video recorded by the pair appeared to show the teens yelling “hit his ass” and running over Probst, who was in a bike lane. The video, which police said was recorded by Keys, went viral after being posted on social media.
Investigators said the teens were also involved in a string of car thefts and crashes that morning, including hitting another bicyclist.
Ayala and Keys were initially charged with several felonies, including murder and attempted murder. Their case garnered national attention after they were seen smiling, laughing, and even making obscene hand gestures at Probst’s family during a hearing.
Two of Probst’s children addressed the court at the sentencing. “I can’t help to think that maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation if the defendants had one parent like my father,” Michael Probst said. “The moment I learned of his death, all I could do was scream and yell, it felt like my heart was just torn into pieces. Our family is forever changed, and the emotional trauma will forever haunt us.”
Neither defendant spoke during the hearing when offered the opportunity. Ayala’s attorney said that while their behavior was reckless and stupid, the teens never intended to kill the victim. But Probst’s widow, Crystal, rejected that claim. “They made a choice and that choice destroyed my family,” she said. “Let me be painfully clear: the individuals that carried out this monstrous act…should feel nothing but shame, shame for the lives they have shattered without hesitation…shame for allowing neglect and excuses to take the place of accountability, compassion and basic human decency.”
