79-year-old California dies in carjacking when suspect drives off, dragging the victim from his vehicle

A 79-year-old motorist carjacked near downtown Norco on Monday was fatally injured when the perpetrator dragged the victim while making his getaway, authorities said.

The deadly carjacking was reported at about 12:20 p.m. Monday at the ARCO gas station at 675 Hidden Valley Parkway, less than a mile east of the 15 Freeway, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The agency said witnesses observed a man forcibly taking the victim’s silver SUV, jumping into the driver’s seat and speeding away on the four-lane corridor with “the vehicle owner partially inside the rear seat.”

“The victim was dragged and ejected from the vehicle,” according to a sheriff’s statement.

Broadcast reports said the victim was vacuuming his SUV behind the passenger seat when the thief drove the vehicle away.

During the investigation, officers from the Corona Police Department told deputies from the sheriff’s Norco station that they located a man suffering from traumatic injuries consistent with being ejected from a vehicle. James Norman of Corona was located on Hidden Valley Parkway east of the initial incident and rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Sheriff’s homicide detectives found the victim’s unoccupied SUV near Polk Street and Magnolia Avenue in Riverside. Investigators began working with the Riverside Police Department and eventually detained 29-year-old Ryan Hewitt of Corona near Magnolia and Tyler Street.

Hewitt was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of carjacking and murder.

Sheriff’s officials said no additional suspects were believed to be involved.