Defendant in Ceres hit-and-run death in court

MODESTO -- The defendant accused of driving a truck that fatally injured a man trying to prevent illegal garbage dumping on his property appeared briefly Tuesday in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

The judge postponed a bail review hearing until Monday for Patrick Michael Denny, 41, who remains in custody at the Stanislaus County Jail. His bail has been set at $250,000.

Denny has been charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run resulting in death and a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license.

Authorities say Denny was driving the truck that hit Stan Hyer, 53, as he was chasing the truck dumping garbage on his property in a rural area south of Ceres. Hyer died at the scene. The public defender's office can't represent Denny because of a conflict of interest, so Judge Scott Steffen will appoint a new attorney to defend him.