The teen car passenger who filmed himself encouraging his friend to mow down a retired police officer riding his bike through Las Vegas was arrested Tuesday, officials announced.
The unidentified minor and the teen driver — who was already in custody — are both facing murder charges in the disturbing hit-and-run death of 64-year-old Andreas Probst’s last month, Las Vegas officials said at a press conference.
“It’s a complete lack of conscience on a part of it and the worst part about it in the video is you hear that everything was intentional,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Detective Lieutenant Jason Johansen said.
Police say the passenger filmed the gut-wrenching video showing that Probst was deliberately struck and left for dead while he was on his morning bike ride around 6 a.m. on Aug. 14.
The driver can be heard asking his giggling friend “ready?” as he speeds up directly behind the retired cop.
“Yeah, hit his ass,” the passenger tells the driver before plowing into the retiree.
Probst was thrown onto the windshield, sending shards of glass through the car, and over the car before crashing onto the side of the road.
“Damn that n—a got knocked out!” the passenger says as the driver can be heard stepping on the gas.
The killing was the most severe in a string of crimes the pair allegedly carried out that morning, authorities said.
The couple allegedly struck a 72-year-old man around 5:30 a.m. that morning, leaving him with non-life-threatening injuries.
They’re also accused of intentionally ramming into a second car that was traveling nearby before setting their sights on Probst.
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Police said the teens stole at least four cars to carry out the violent spree.
The 17-year-old who plowed into Probst was arrested the same day as Probst’s death on suspicion of hit and run.
Authorities announced the upgraded murder charge after video of the incident surfaced. Prosecutors said both teens will be tried as adults.
It took police five weeks to track down the passenger, who was wearing a mask in surveillance footage obtained by investigators.
He was ultimately caught in part due to the damning video, which was alerted to police by a school resource officer that had been given the footage by a student.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Watson — a self-proclaimed cycling addict — promised he would personally work on the prosecution’s case against the two teenagers.
“When I saw this video, it touched me in such a way. Such a way that other bicyclists can appreciate,” he said.
Probst’s family said Tuesday that they believe the senseless killing was caused by the effect “social media has on our youth” — not because of his 35 years in law enforcement.
The former cop had moved to Sin City after he retired as chief of police in Bell, California in 2009.
“Andy’s life was robbed by two individuals who did not believe that the lives of others matter,” his daughter Taylor said, calling her father a “man of honor and integrity.”
“He was a little league dad, an honorary member of Girl Scouts … and he was always there for the various activities we go we’d get into as a family. His colleagues remember him as a real-life Peewee Herman. He was a jokester, a prankster and always had a way to make you laugh.”
