Las Vegas teen charged with murdering retired police chief found unfit to stand trial

19-year-old Jesus Ayala was ordered on Wednesday to undergo treatment at a Nevada psychiatric hospital, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The ruling came from Eighth Judicial District Judge Christy Craig, who made the decision "out of an abundance of caution." Craig had previously indicated she would declare Ayala incompetent, but Chief Deputy Public Defender David Westbrook requested that a state doctor review a separate report from a neuropsychologist before a final ruling.

Ayala is accused of intentionally driving into retired California police chief Andreas Probst in a deadly hit-and-run. The incident went viral on social media after a video showed Ayala, then 17, and his friend Jzamir Keys, 16, recording themselves as they rammed a stolen vehicle into Probst, who was riding his bicycle. The footage showed Probst being struck from behind, hitting the hood and windshield of the car. The assailants were heard laughing before abandoning the blood-covered vehicle and stealing two more cars, which they crashed into each other, according to 8NewsNow.

Following his arrest, Ayala reportedly bragged that he would "be out in 30 days." The two suspects were seen in court smiling and laughing as well.

This week, prosecutors filed a new case against Ayala, which includes charges of robbery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, and grand larceny of a motor vehicle. The specifics of these new charges have not been made public, and Westbrook has questioned the timing of these charges while Ayala is currently undergoing competency proceedings.

In addition to the hit-and-run case, Ayala is also facing attempted murder charges from a separate incident in June 2023. In that case, a man was stabbed multiple times in an "extremely violent" group attack. The victim claimed he had been drinking outside his home when he confronted a teenager he believed had stolen from him. After following the teenager, he was attacked by a group of five other individuals. Ayala was identified in a photo lineup by the victim after the hit-and-run and was also alleged to be a member of the "Night Crawlers criminal gang,” a claim Ayala has denied, along with any involvement in the stabbing.