A 79-year-old Army veteran was brutally murdered on Monday during a carjacking in Southern California.
James Norman was at a gas station in Norco, California, cleaning his Chevy Trailblazer with the engine running when 29-year-old Ryan Hewitt jumped in the driverโs seat and drove off.
Norman was hanging out the back door and was dragged and then thrown from the vehicle. His family said he was just too frail to get out in time.
Hewitt was charged with felony carjacking and second-degree murder. He is being held on $1 million bail.
The victimโs family set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses and medical bills.
James Norman is survived by his beloved wife, two daughters, two sons-in-law, and one grandson.
โJim lived a modest, basic life, but also an adventurous life. He started off in the Army and worked across several fields including construction and vehicle transport, and at one point, even took to the skies as a pilot. His passion for travel for work and exploration led him to many corners of the united states, and his stories often captivated those around him. Whether building something with his hands or sharing tales from the road, Jim brought energy and authenticity to everything he did,โ the family said.
BREAKING: California carjacker drives away with owner before dragging him to his death.
Gavin Newsom has turned California into hell. pic.twitter.com/rioUOcvrTp
โ Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) May 13, 2025
ABC 7 reported:
The family of a 79-year-old man dragged and killed in a brutal carjacking Monday says they were getting ready to meet him for dinner before the deadly turn of events.
The victimโs daughter tells Eyewitness News that her dad was an Army Veteran who was in frail health. She said he had survived some close calls in his lifetime, from falling off a ladder to even walking away from a plane crash. She says itโs hard knowing her dad died in such a violent way.
James Norman โ known as Jim to his family and friends โ was getting ready to go to dinner with his daughter and son-in-law when he made a quick stop at an ARCO station on Hidden Valley Parkway in Norco.
โSo he probably went to clean his car, and he was probably waiting for us to call him and say, โHey dad, weโre on our way now and weโre going to come get you,โโ said Normanโs daughter, Nicole Lauritsen.
But instead of calling her dad, Lauritsen says she got a call from a Riverside County sheriffโs deputy.
โโYour dadโs been in an accident. Is there any way to track his phone?โ And I said, โNo, but I can track his car,โ and thatโs kind of where it led,โ Lauritsen said. โNothing made sense at the time, I think, obviously because it was an investigation, they couldnโt say anything.โ
SAY HIS NAME: James Norman (79)
U.S. Army Veteran. Dragged and kiIIed in a brutaI carjacking while cleaning his car in California on Monday.
Zero outrage. pic.twitter.com/CclVW2ElUz
โ End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 14, 2025
The post HORROR: 79-Year-Old Army Veteran Dragged and Killed in Brutal California Carjacking appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
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