Current:Home > ContactWife, daughter of retired police chief killed in cycling hit-and-run speak out -StockSource
Wife, daughter of retired police chief killed in cycling hit-and-run speak out
View
Date:2025-04-23 16:02:39
For grieving widow Crystal Probst, the nightmare began two months ago with an alert sent from her husband’s Apple Watch.
Andy Probst, 64, was out for his morning bike ride on Aug. 14, when the device on his wrist detected a hard fall just blocks from his Las Vegas home. The device called 911 and alerted Crystal, his emergency contact, via text message.
Taylor Probst, Andy’s daughter, told ABC News, “Chopper was out. You could hear sirens in all different directions. And I vividly remember [my mom] turning to me saying, ‘That's for dad. That's for dad.'"
But Crystal and Taylor say they never could have imagined what happened to the beloved father and husband.
Probst, a retired police chief for Bell, California, was riding in the designated bike lane when a vehicle slammed into him, according to authorities. Two teenagers face murder charges in the alleged intentional hit-and-run.
“I saw everything, from where the phone was, where half of his helmet was and then where the bike was,” Taylor said.
Initially declared an accident, weeks went by before the shocking video of the alleged hit-and-run surfaced.
MORE: Retired police chief killed in hit-and-run died in 'cold and callous' way: Family
Authorities allege it shows then-17-year-old Jesus Ayala behind the wheel and 16-year-old Jzamir Keys recording the video from the passenger seat as they’re seen side-swiping a car. Police say the teens start laughing while one of them says, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, hit his a--” as the car pulls up behind Probst just before the fatal collision.
Authorities say the video was brought to the attention of law enforcement by a high school student who saw it and alerted their school resource officer.
“I can't think of too many cases I've ever had that -- where you have the audio, the video of what they're thinking and doing before the murder, as they commit the murder and after the murder. And there's just not many cases where you get all three of those,” Lt. Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told ABC News.
Taylor says the now-viral video has haunted her since she saw it.
“We're happy that video exists because that's how it got switched over from an accident to a homicide. But we didn't want the entire world seeing it,” Taylor said.
Ayala, now 18, and Keys are accused of committing a series of crimes the morning of Aug. 14 -- three car thefts and three hit-and-runs, including the one that killed Probst, authorities said.
Both have been charged as adults with murder with use of a deadly weapon, battery with use of a deadly weapon and attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon. Ayala, who is accused of driving a stolen Hyundai Electra during Probst's alleged hit-and-run, is also charged with leaving the scene of a crash and possession of a stolen vehicle, among other charges.
Ayala and Keys pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Johansson alleges Ayala made statements to law enforcement on body camera footage after the alleged hit-and-run, saying he believed he was going to “get a slap on the wrist” and “be out in 30 days.”
“I think we all know now that probably is not going to be the case," Johansson said.
When asked about their reaction to Ayala’s comments, Taylor and Crystal did not mince words about the alleged killer.
“He’s an entitled little f---,” Crystal said.
“My reaction was, he doesn't, he doesn't even know what's f------ coming. Yeah, he is about to get slapped in the face real hard with reality,” Taylor said.
Meanwhile, the grieving daughter is now facing a future without her father.
“I'll never get to have my dad there, have that, you know, daddy daughter dance, have him give me away or anything like that, and that hurts. That hurts that was robbed from me. And that was robbed from my mom and my brother,” Taylor said through tears.
Crystal still sometimes wears her husband’s shattered watch that first alerted her to the unimaginable tragedy.
"Everybody says, you got to go get it fixed, but I don't know if I want to," Crystal said.
“It’s hard to grieve when you are so angry," she added.
veryGood! (48)
Related
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Gospel Singer Pedro Henrique Dead at 30 After Collapsing Onstage
- Running is great exercise, but many struggle with how to get started. Here are some tips.
- Youngkin pledges to seek mental health legislation in honor of Irvo Otieno
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Coca-Cola recalls 2,000 Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange soda packs
- The 'Walmart Self-Checkout Employee Christmas party' was a joke. Now it's a real fundraiser.
- Olivia Rodrigo and Actor Louis Partridge Confirm Romance With PDA Outing in NYC
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- 'Wonka' is a candy-coated prequel
Ranking
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Conservationists, tribes say deal with Biden administration is a road map to breach Snake River dams
- Woman missing for 4 days found alive in Idaho canyon thanks to tip from civilians: Truly a miracle
- Brazil’s Congress overrides president’s veto to reinstate legislation threatening Indigenous rights
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Coca-Cola recalled 2,000 Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta cases due to possible contamination
- The Supreme Court refuses to block an Illinois law banning some high-power semiautomatic weapons
- Taylor Lautner reflects on 'Twilight' rivalry with Robert Pattinson: 'It was tough'
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Moderna-Merck vaccine cuts odds of skin cancer recurrence in half, study finds
Driving for work will pay more next year after IRS boosts 2024 mileage rate
The Supreme Court refuses to block an Illinois law banning some high-power semiautomatic weapons
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
Does driving or grocery shopping make you anxious? Your eyes may be the problem.
Alaska governor’s budget plan includes roughly $3,400 checks for residents and deficit of nearly $1B
Why more women live in major East Coast counties while men outnumber them in the West