(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Two Las Vegas teenagers accused of running over a retired police chief with a car laughed and made obscene gestures at the victim’s family in court during a Tuesday morning arraignment.
Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, face murder charges for striking Andreas Probst, 64, who was riding down the highway on a bicycle, according to the Daily Mail.
Ayala (who was 17 at the time of the alleged murder) and Keys faced charges as adults after video surfaced showing they had filmed the brazen act and at least one other in which the individual survived. In both, they appeared to intentionally target the victims.
They entered not guilty pleas to felony murder, battery and grand larceny at their arraignment Tuesday as Probst’s family looked on in the courtroom.
Video of the two assailants during the hearing showed them smiling and laughing, and appearing to give the family the middle finger, the Daily Mail reported.
“These guys did not respect the court whatsoever, said Probst’s daughter, Taylor after the hearing.
“They were just d*****g around the entire time,” she continued “They were flipping us off. How can you sit there after taking a man’s life and act like such an entitled pr**k?”
Cops initially arrested Ayala and Keys for an outstanding warrant and obstructing a police officer when they discovered the footage of Probst on their phones.
Prior to the murder charge, Ayala, who had a history of juvenile crimes, mocked the criminal-justice system and suggested he would be released quickly.
“You think this juvenile [expletive] is gonna do some [expletive]? I’ll be out in 30 days, I’ll bet you,” he said. “It’s just ah, [expletive] ah, hit-and-run—slap on the wrist.”
Alaya’s mother said she did not know why her son did such a horrible thing.
“I don’t know why he did this,” she told 8 News Now. “I don’t know if God can forgive this.”
Ayala was a repeat offender, having been in and out of juvenile detention several times. The child welfare system took Keys in at eight years old.
Deputy Police Chief Nick Farese called the spree “a cowardly act that in my 22 years of law enforcement left me personally appalled.”
The judge set the trial for Sept. 16, 2024.
