A 66-year-old retired police chief, identified as Andreas Probst, was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle driven by two teenagers — one just 17 years old — during an apparent act of revenge. The subsequent sentencing this week saw both teen defendants receive life in prison without the possibility of parole, after a judge refused to treat the 17-year-old as a juvenile.
Probst was riding his bicycle home to celebrate his granddaughter’s birthday when a car — stolen minutes earlier — plowed into him from behind. The vehicle was driven by 19-year-old Jesus Ayala and 17-year-old Jasmine Keyes. Court testimony revealed the collision was intentional: Ayala and Keyes accelerated “deliberately” when they spotted Probst. Immediately after the impact, they exited the car, beat Probst in a brutal assault, and filmed the entire crime — all while laughing, dancing, and taunting the dying man.
In court, Keyes reportedly smirked as she proclaimed, “I just want to tell you I’ll be home soon — I love my family.” Those words vanished as quickly as her calm when the judge announced the verdict. Prosecutors argued that the teens had repeatedly committed theft, assault, and burglary, yet always evaded serious consequences due to their age. This time, the prosecution insisted on adult charges given the gravity of the crime and the premeditated violence.
The court agreed. The judge denied the defense’s request to try Keyes as a juvenile. In explaining the decision, the court emphasized the heinous nature of the crime, the deliberate use of a stolen vehicle as a weapon, and the mockery shown toward the victim — indicating full moral culpability.
With the conviction now official, survivors, family members, and community leaders have expressed a mix of relief and sorrow: relief that justice was served, and sorrow that a life was extinguished in such a senseless, violent manner.
