Patterson hit-and-run suspect in trouble again

A Patterson woman suspected of hitting a bicyclist with her car and leaving the scene in September was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license 16 days after a judge released her on her own recognizance pending her trial.

Vanessa Carrillo, 21, appeared in court Tuesday for a pretrial hearing. She is accused of felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in connection with the death of Patrick O’Connor, 27, of Sacramento.

The charge of driving with a suspended driver’s license has been added. Carrillo was booked on April 6 at the Stanislaus County Jail, then released on bail the same day. She is scheduled to appear in court for another pretrial hearing May 23.

O’Connor was riding his bicycle Sept. 1 along Fulkerth Road a few miles west of Turlock when a car struck him from behind. He died at the scene.

The CHP said Carrillo was driving a 1999 Toyota about 55 mph in the same direction as O’Connor when her car struck him. She drove off, according to the CHP, and about an hour later called 911 to report she thought she had hit a dog.

During questioning, Carrillo told officers she might have hit a person. The CHP said Carrillo admitted she stopped in the road, looked through her rear view mirror and saw a body on the ground.

This story was originally published April 12, 2011 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Patterson hit-and-run suspect in trouble again."