Vegas teen Jesus Ayala accused of killing retired police chief Andreas Probst in hit-and-run found unfit to stand trial

A Las Vegas teenager accused of intentionally driving into a retired police chief as part of a violent crime spree has been declared incompetent to stand trial for the deadly hit and run.

Jesus Ayala, 19, has been ordered to a Nevada psychiatric hospital for treatment to restore his competency, Chief Deputy Public Defender David Westbrook informed the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The order, issued by Eighth Judicial District Judge Christy Craig, was made out of an “abundance of caution” and has suspended criminal charges against Ayala.

Craig had previously hinted at finding the teenager competent, but Westbrook requested state doctors to review a report from a neuropsychologist before an official ruling was made, as reported by the Review-Journal.

Ayala, along with his co-assailant Jzamir Keys, 17, was facing multiple charges for the 2023 murder of Andreas Probst.

Lawyers have the ability to introduce new evidence of competency, including Ayala’s behavior, demeanor in court, and refusal to participate in competency evaluations, according to an Order Of Commitment obtained by KTNV.

Ayala has been transferred to Lake’s Crossing Center, a maximum security psychiatric facility in Sparks, Nevada, just outside of Reno.

A new case was filed against Ayala, accusing him of robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, and grand larceny auto, according to court records viewed by The Post.

Westbrook questioned why Ayala was charged in the case amidst the competency issues.

“They know competency has been challenged and they chose to file this case anyway,” he told the outlet.

Medical officials have been evaluating Ayala since August, and doctors were divided on ruling him competent enough to stand trial following psychologist exams.

Doctors believe Ayala has suffered some brain damage, and Westbrook mentioned that several individuals described his condition as “pretty severe brain damage.”

Ayala and Keys were charged with multiple felonies, including murder, battery, attempted murder, grand larceny of a vehicle, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Ayala, who was 17 at the time, and Keys, 16, allegedly recorded themselves striking Probst, 64, who had been riding his bicycle on a neighborhood street.

A shocking video filmed from the front passenger seat shows the stolen vehicle approaching Probst from behind and abruptly ramming into him, causing the beloved husband to land on the hood and hit the windshield.

The laughing teenagers then abandoned the car, which was covered in blood, approximately 10 minutes away, as reported by 8NewsNow, before stealing two more vehicles that they subsequently crashed into each other near a shopping mall.

The teenagers were allegedly on a wild crime spree that morning, during which they struck a 72-year-old cyclist just before dawn.

Ayala was apprehended by police hours later but boasted that he would be out in a month.

“You think this juvenile [expletive] is gonna do some [expletive]? I’ll be out in 30 days, I’ll bet you,” Ayala told the cops, according to KLAS.

Ayala is also facing an attempted murder charge in a separate “extremely violent” group attack that resulted in one person being stabbed multiple times.

The stabbing victim sustained multiple lacerations, including a significant one to the head, before seeking treatment at University Medical Center (UMC) on June 27, 2023.

Ayala’s trial for the Probst murder was scheduled for November.

Keys is expected to appear back in court on Oct. 22, with his trial set to commence on Nov. 12, according to court records.