Suspect in fatal Tulare County hit-and-run pleads not guilty, held without bail

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Shay Dejonge pleaded not guilty Monday to allegedly killing a man who was pushing his bicycle in a hit-and-run crash.

It happened November 5 on Avenue 144, south of Avenue 313 in Tulare County.

The victim, Jimmy Slate Jr., was was taken to Kaweah Health Medical Center after the crash, where he died just days before his 31st birthday.

Dejonge is charged with one count of felony hit-and-run resulting in Slate's death and one count of driving on a suspended or revoked license.

She is being held without bail. Prosecutors say she faces four years in prison, if convicted.

CHP investigators initially said witness statements led them to Dejonge's home shortly after the crash, but she ran away when they knocked on the door.

Dejonge eventually turned herself in on Wednesday, November 9.

She was booked into the Tulare County Pretrial facility for a felony.

Dejonge has a preliminary hearing conference scheduled for the 22nd.