Current:Home > ContactWife, daughter of retired police chief killed in cycling hit-and-run speak out -CapitalCourse
Wife, daughter of retired police chief killed in cycling hit-and-run speak out
View
Date:2025-04-25 11:00:09
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! (7882)
Related
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Planters is looking to hire drivers to cruise in its Nutmobile: What to know about the job
- NYC’s AI chatbot was caught telling businesses to break the law. The city isn’t taking it down
- Caitlin Clark of Iowa is the AP Player of the Year in women’s hoops for the 2nd straight season
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Makeup You Can Sleep in That Actually Improves Your Skin? Yes, That’s a Thing and It’s 45% Off
- Police say use of racial slur clearly audible as they investigate racist incidents toward Utah team
- 'Coordinated Lunar Time': NASA asked to give the moon its own time zone
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Wolf kills a calf in Colorado, the first confirmed kill after the predator’s reintroduction
Ranking
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Selling the OC's Dramatic Trailer for Season 3 Teases Explosive Fights, New Alliances and More
- Small Nuclear Reactors May Be Coming to Texas, Boosted by Interest From Gov. Abbott
- Body found by hunter in Missouri in 1978 identified as missing Iowa girl
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- The Beach Boys like never before: Band's first official book is a trove of rare artifacts
- New York adulterers could get tossed out of house but not thrown in jail under newly passed bill
- Should you itemize or take a standard deduction on your tax return? Here’s what to know
Recommendation
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
University of Kentucky Dance Team Honors Member Kate Kaufling After Her Death
Everything you need to know about how to watch and live stream the 2024 Masters
The Global Mining Boom Puts African Great Apes at Greater Risk Than Previously Known
Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
Iowa repeals gender parity rule for governing bodies as diversity policies garner growing opposition
Millions still under tornado watches as severe storms batter Midwest, Southeast
Snowstorm slams Northeast, Great Lakes with mass power outages and travel mayhem