Second teenager arrested in video recorded hit-run crash of ex-California police chief in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police on Tuesday announced a second teenager has been arrested in a series of hit-and-run crashes, including the death of a former California police chief who was riding a bicycle last month.
Deputy Chief Nick Farese said in an afternoon news conference that the arrest was made earlier Tuesday at the teenager’s home. Farese did not identify the teenager.
Family members of the cyclist, Andreas Rene Probst, 64, a retired former police chief from the small Southern California city of Bell, also attended the police briefing.
The briefing by police came a day after the elected district attorney in Las Vegas said he would charge the 17-year-old alleged driver of the car as an adult with murder and possibly other charges. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement that the investigation to identify and arrest a “second perpetrator” was continuing.
“I am confident that justice will be served in this matter once the investigation is complete and the appropriate charges have been filed,” Wolfson said.
Graphic cellphone video apparently showing the crash went viral on the internet in recent days, drawing intense interest and posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The video shows a dashboard view from the front seat of a vehicle approaching a bicyclist from behind riding near the curb on an otherwise traffic-free road. It records laughter and comments between two males in the car before the bicyclist, wearing a red shirt and dark shorts, is struck and thrown against the windshield. A final image from the moving car shows the man left on the ground next to the curb.
Police reported the crash occurred about 6 a.m. Aug. 14, and that the allegedly stolen car, a 2016 Hyundai Elantra, was found and the driver was arrested that day. His name has not been made public pending further proceedings in Las Vegas Justice Court.
On Aug. 31, Las Vegas police said detectives became aware of the video two days earlier, that the crash appeared intentional, and that charges sought against the driver had been upgraded to murder.