A year later: Family of retired police chief killed while biking mourns loss, seeks justice
A year after retired police chief Andreas Probst was killed on a morning bike ride, his family continues to grieve, all while dealing with a criminal trial involving the two teens accused of purposefully running him down.
“Andy would be proud of the way our children have persevered through the hardest of times, as he too had strength and courage throughout his life,” reads a statement from the family provided to the Review-Journal.
Probst, 66, a retired Bell, California police chief who spent 35 years in law enforcement, was struck by a car during a morning bike ride on Aug. 14, 2023. The Metropolitan Police Department determined the incident to be an intentional hit-and-run crash and arrested Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 17, who are now charged with murder, among other offenses.
A year later, his wife, Crystal Probst, said the hardest time continues to be going to sleep.
“We never went to sleep without a kiss and a love you,” she wrote to the Review-Journal.
Special memories
In especially difficult times, she has tried to meditate and goes to the gym to work on both physical and emotional strength. She also remembers some of his favorite sayings: “Do you want to die on this hill?” and “Don’t play whack-a-mole.”
“These are the things that keep me from showing my anger daily,” she wrote.
Crystal Probst added that there have been several moments where the family has felt his presence, like when she smells his cologne.
The rest of the family experiences a “twinge of sadness” every morning when they drink coffee. Probst is remembered for loving coffee, but now his coffee cup sits empty on the counter. The family said they finally learned how to use the coffee maker on their own, as it was previously his specialty.
The family also missed sharing the news with him, especially when it related to his home state of California.
“We still turn around to share something, with the expectation that he’s still there, but we are painfully reminded of his absence when we are met with empty air,” their statement read.
Crystal Probst also described the various ways her husband has been memorialized in the past year. Over 160 people attended his memorial and told stories about him, and his golfing crew honored him at their tournament in Las Vegas this past year.
Software development company IAC, for which Andreas Probst served as the director of global security, dedicated the company’s security center to his memory, according to Probst. Ghost Bikes of Las Vegas placed a ghost bike — a bike painted white to symbolize a bike-related fatality — on Tenaya Way, where he was killed. Probst said that many people have driven miles to place memories at the site.
In addition, Clark County School District Police Department Lt. Michael Campbell will be riding in the Thin Blue Shoreline Ride in Michigan this weekend in honor of Probst, and will wear Probst’s police patch on his cycling jersey.
“I wanted to honor Chief Probst and tell his story during our ride,” Campbell said in a text message.
Criminal case pending
Their year of mourning has also been complicated by court proceedings.
“It makes the grieving process even more difficult and continues to add to the pain, suffering and anger we feel every day,” the family’s statement read. “There is no healing until justice is served! We pray that the nightmare will be over soon!”
Still, Crystal Probst has gone to every hearing possible, and will continue to do so.
“I think it’s important to be in court to show everyone that there are victims to their crimes,” she wrote to the Review-Journal.
After a video surfaced of Ayala and Keys laughing as they approached Probst riding a mountain bike on North Tenaya Way near Centennial Parkway, police determined the incident to be an intentional hit-and-run. One person in the car is heard saying, “Hit his a —,” before the vehicle rams into Probst from behind. Ayala is accused of driving the car, and Keys of taking the video, police said.
The two were charged as adults. In October, a grand jury indicted them on charges of murder, attempted murder, two counts of failing to stop at the scene of a crash, two counts of battery, residential burglary, three counts of grand larceny of a vehicle and three counts of possession of a stolen vehicle. Ayala faces an additional count of possession of burglary tools, court records show.
In the most recent court hearing, Chief Deputy Public Defender David Westbrook, who represents Ayala, attempted to get the elder abuse component of the murder charge against his client thrown out, but was unsuccessful.
Ayala and Keys are due back in court for a jury trial on Nov. 11.
In the meantime, the family continues to remember Probst.
“We miss him whether it’s receiving his love, nightly kisses, daily phone calls with his children or his sound advice. The hardest thing is when something in life has happened, and he is not here to share in the joy or hardships,” the family wrote.
Statement from the family of Andreas Probst by Las Vegas Review-Journal on Scribd
