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Topics: Crime, News, US News, Cars, Social Media
Kit Roberts
Topics: Crime, News, US News, Cars, Social Media
Two teenagers who are on trial after allegedly killing a retired police chief were seen laughing and flipping off the victim's family in court.
Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, were both minors when they allegedly ran down retired police chief, Andreas Probst, 64, while he was out on a morning bike ride.
The pair have since both been charged with murder, and are being tried as adults. They appeared in court on Tuesday morning to set a date for their trial to begin.
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You might think this would provoke some sort of reflection on the severity of their situation, but the two defendant's behaviour in court would suggest otherwise.
Ayala and Keys could be seen to be covering their mouths in the dock to stop themselves from laughing.
Probst's family also allege that they saw the defendants pointing their middle finger towards them.
The pair's actions left the deceased's family furious.
His 27-year-old daughter, Taylor Probst, told reporters outside the courthouse: “How can you sit there after taking a man’s life, and act like such an entitled pr*ck?
"They really had no remorse, that this is just a game to them.”
Nonetheless, they said that despite it being difficult, it also reflected poorly on the defendants.
Probst's 60-year-old widow Crystal said: “It just makes him look bad."
The public defender assigned to Ayala and Keys expressed concern to the court about finding a jury who had no prior knowledge of the case.
This was because the two defendants had posted a video of the incident to social media which shows it all playing out.
Juries are not permitted to have any prior knowledge of a case prior to hearing about it in court in order to ensure they make their decision solely based on the evidence presented in court.
But with high profile cases this can be difficult.
Probst's family claim that it was the defendants' fault the case has become so widely known.
Crystal said: “It was your people who put it in the media first, your clients are the ones that put that on social media.”
At the time of his arrest in September, Ayala told officers: “You think this juvenile [expletive] is gonna do some [expletive]? I’ll be out in 30 days, I’ll bet you."
Bodycam footage also shows him asking officers if the crash is 'really that serious?'
Taylor Probst has drawn attention to the many failings which have led to the horrific circumstances, saying: “A multitude of different people failed, but I think ultimately the parents on all ends. They’re the ones that failed.”