Las Vegas authorities announced on Tuesday, September 19, that two teenagers had been arrested and charged with murder after they allegedly filmed themselves intentionally driving into a bicyclist who was riding along the shoulder of the road. The victim was Andreas Rene Probst, a former police chief in Bell, California, who died at the age of 64.
Police said they have linked the youngsters to three separate hit-and-runs that occurred early on August 14.
'Appalling, Cowardly Act'
A video filmed by the front passenger shows the car approaching Probst from behind as he rides close to the curb on an empty street. Those inside the car start laughing as they deliberately maneuver near Probst and then smash the bicycle, sending Probst flying onto their car's hood and through the windshield.
The last shot taken from the driving vehicle shows Probst lying on the ground near the curb.
According to AP News, Deputy Police Chief Nick Farese described the video recording made inside the stolen car as "appalling" and a "cowardly act."
Steve Wolfson, the district attorney for Clark County, has taken an interest in the case and has pledged to prosecute both minors as adults. There will be no identification until then, he added. "Justice will be served in this case," Wolfson reassured.
Taylor Probst, during a press conference on Tuesday, praised her father, also known as Andy. He was a retired police officer for his 35 years of service. "We are devastated by the senseless murder of Andy," she stated. "Andy's life was robbed by two individuals who did not believe that the lives of others matter."
The Teens Are Arrested
The 17-year-old driver was taken into custody on the day of the accident for driving offenses associated with the tragic hit-and-run. Police said they failed to find out about the video until a school resource officer turned it over to them weeks later, at which point the driver was charged with murder, and a manhunt was launched to locate the passenger shown in the footage.
On Tuesday, police apprehended the second teenager.
Police said that the offenses involving vehicles started shortly before daybreak when the teens hit a 72-year-old biker and then fled before ramming into a Toyota Corolla. According to the authorities, the driver was unharmed in the incident. The bicyclist's injuries, if any, were not specified.
Shortly after hitting the Toyota, the teens allegedly drove into Probst, who was riding his bike in a marked bike lane.
The deputy police chief, Farese, alleged that the suspects laughed as they fled, "leaving him for dead on the side of a road."
