Murder suspect's video shows crash that killed former Bell police chief in Las Vegas: Prosecutors
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KABC) -- A teenage murder suspect, one of two charged in the killing of Andreas Rene Probst, recorded video of the Las Vegas crash that left the former Bell police chief dead, prosecutors said.
The two teens are accused of deliberately driving into the 64-year-old Probst as he pedaled his bicycle along the side of a road.
Probst served with the Bell Police Department for 24 years, according to records. Las Vegas police described the crash that resulted in his death as an "appalling" and "cowardly" act.
The video that shows the collision went viral after being posted on social media. It was recorded by an occupant of the stolen vehicle that struck Probst, who authorities said was riding in a bicycle lane when he was hit.
The footage shows "two juveniles, joy riding in a car, hitting and killing an innocent man who was riding a bicycle and leaving him for dead along the side of a road," Deputy Chief Nick Farese of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said at a news conference.
"We believe that Andy's murder is a direct result of society's decayed family values and the strong effects that social media have on our youth," his daughter, Taylor Probst, said at the news conference.
The video shows the teens sideswiping a car before approaching Probst further down the road. The suspect behind the wheel appeared to accelerate before the impact with the bicycle.
A 17-year-old suspect was arrested on the day of the crash. At the time, investigators were not aware of the video.
The emergence of the footage resulted in an upgraded murder charge and led to a search for the other teenage occupant of the car. The second suspect's arrest was announced Tuesday.
"In the criminal justice system, if you are a minor and you are eligible to be charged with the crime of murder, you are automatically sent to the adult system," said Steven Wolfson, district attorney of Clark County, Nevada. "I am confident that that is what is going to happen in this case."
Probst's daughter described him as a man of "honor, integrity and humor."
"He was a jokester, a prankster, and always had a way to make you laugh," she said.
Andreas Probst retired as Bell's police chief in 2009. He was a resident of Las Vegas at the time of his death.
