Teens accused in deadly hit-and-run of retired police chief arraigned second time

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The two teen murder suspects accused of intentionally running over and killing retired California police chief Andy Probst were indicted again.

18-year-old Jesus Ayala and 16-year-old Jzamir Keys entered not guilty pleas in court Thursday following a superseding indictment, which added additional charges for Ayala.

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Ayala now faces a second attempted murder charge, along with battery and attempted robbery. The charges stem from a separate stabbing incident last June.

The amended indictment came under fire when Ayala's public defender David Westbrook argued state prosecutors violated state law by combining offenses unrelated to the original crimes.

"Just for the record, we are objecting to the re-indictment," Westbrook said in court. "It's a clear violation to NRS 173.115."

David Roger, the former Clark County District Attorney, said prosecutors can combine charges from a separate criminal incident if they can show they are somehow related.

"The law requires you to show some sort of connection in order to join the case and present the case to a jury," Roger said. "It is difficult to see if there is sufficient connection between an attempted murder and attempted robbery a month and a half earlier and this crime spree. There may be."

Although prosecutors did not specify in court Thursday the circumstances surrounding the secondary indictment, a Metro arrest report from January identifies Ayala as the prime suspect in a vehicle theft and attempted murder in the north valley last June.

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As for Keys, no additional charges were added for him. But when a grand jury reconvenes for a superseding indictment, they also reexamine the original charges that were filed, which is why Keys was also arraigned in court Thursday.

Keys appeared in court with a heavily-bandaged right arm.

The teens are due back in court for a trial readiness check on March 12.