A grandpa was killed in a brutal carjacking in Riverside County, leaving family members inconsolable.
Nicole Lauritsen remarked of her father, James Norman, 79, “He lived a good life, modest. He had a big heart.”
At approximately 12:22 p.m. on May 12, Norman was parked at an Arco gas station in Norco, which is roughly five minutes from his house. The station is situated on Hidden Valley Parkway.
He left the doors of his Chevy Trailblazer SUV open while vacuuming it. One of the male suspects, Ryan Hewitt, 29, of Corona, jumped into the driver’s seat and started the car as he was cleaning.
Norman was still partially in the back seat when the suspect started to back the car up, trapping him.
“He didn’t have his hearing aids in, so I’m guessing he didn’t hear with the vacuum on and all of a sudden, his car is backing up and he was too old and frail to get out before the door slammed on him,” Lauritsen stated.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Norman was dragged almost 0.5 miles up the road while dangling from the car before being flung from the moving vehicle.
He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital after suffering severe injuries, where he passed away.
“He knew my dad was hanging, but he panicked and just kept going until he fell out of the car,” Lauritsen stated. “That’s what [the suspect] told investigators. Apparently, he has a drug problem and he was just trying to get to Riverside to get more drugs.”
Later, Norman’s SUV was discovered abandoned in Riverside, close to Polk Street and Magnolia Avenue. A few blocks away, they located Hewitt, who was taken into custody on charges of murder and carjacking. Because Lauritsen had left an Apple AirTag inside the vehicle, investigators were able to locate it.
She claimed that as Norman lay on the road, a number of good Samaritans helped protect him from approaching cars.
“I’m struggling with the vision I have of how he went down,” Lauritsen stated. “I imagine he was so scared.”
She was devastated to learn that her father, an army veteran, had worked in construction and truck transportation for the majority of his career. She wants justice for her father’s death and is relieved that the perpetrator was apprehended.
“I’m angry, I’m hurt,” she stated. “I’m so thankful that they caught him as quickly as they could. It doesn’t give you closure, but there’s somebody to be held accountable for.”
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Norman’s wife, two daughters, and a grandson survive him.
“He will be remembered for his resilience, his love of life, and his deep commitment to his family,” his family stated on a GoFundMe page.
Hewitt’s arraignment hearing is set for May 14. He is still being held on $1 million bail. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fatal occurrence. It is thought that no other suspects are involved.
Call Jurupa Valley Station Investigator Ramirez at 951-955-2600 or Central Homicide Master Investigator Deanne at 951-955-2777 if you have any information about the case.
Here is a GoFundMe page to assist Norman’s family with burial costs.
