The arraignment for a Turlock man suspected of beating to death a Hilmar senior citizen over a traffic incident, was delayed Wednesday.
The arraignment was postponed to Wednesday so that Michael Hoyt, 49, could hire a private attorney. He did not enter a plea for the homicide charge he is facing in the wake of 67-year-old Ken Winter’s death.
Winter died early Tuesday morning at Emanuel Medical Center after he was brought in with severe internal injuries and bleeding.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department investigators believe Hoyt attacked Winter because he thought Winter had cut him off at the intersection of Paulson Road and Linwood Avenue.
Sheriff’s Detective Darwin Hatfield said Hoyt passed Winter and then stopped his truck in the middle of the road.
According to the witness statements, Hoyt pulled Winter out of his truck and started beating him. Hoyt left when one of those witnesses yelled at him to stop, Hatfield said.
Winter lost consciousness at the scene and was rushed by paramedics to Emanuel Medical Center.
One of the witnesses was able to provide investigators with information on Hoyt’s whereabouts. He was taken into custody without incident.
Bail for Hoyt has been set at $2 million. His arraignment on a homicide charge was rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Stanislaus County Superior Courthouse, Department 8.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
The arraignment was postponed to Wednesday so that Michael Hoyt, 49, could hire a private attorney. He did not enter a plea for the homicide charge he is facing in the wake of 67-year-old Ken Winter’s death.
Winter died early Tuesday morning at Emanuel Medical Center after he was brought in with severe internal injuries and bleeding.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department investigators believe Hoyt attacked Winter because he thought Winter had cut him off at the intersection of Paulson Road and Linwood Avenue.
Sheriff’s Detective Darwin Hatfield said Hoyt passed Winter and then stopped his truck in the middle of the road.
According to the witness statements, Hoyt pulled Winter out of his truck and started beating him. Hoyt left when one of those witnesses yelled at him to stop, Hatfield said.
Winter lost consciousness at the scene and was rushed by paramedics to Emanuel Medical Center.
One of the witnesses was able to provide investigators with information on Hoyt’s whereabouts. He was taken into custody without incident.
Bail for Hoyt has been set at $2 million. His arraignment on a homicide charge was rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Stanislaus County Superior Courthouse, Department 8.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
