James Norman, Corona Senior Killed, Ryan Hewitt, Charged with Murder
RIVERSIDE Combined Sources – A 29-year-old man accused of carjacking a senior in Norco and dragging the victim to his death while fleeing in his SUV was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder and other offenses.
Ryan Hewitt of Corona was arrested Monday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the death of 79-year-old James Norman of Corona.
Along with murder, Hewitt is charged with hit-and-run causing death, elder abuse, carjacking, a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a carjacking and sentence-enhancing allegations of inflicting great bodily injury and causing injury or death during an act of elder abuse.
He will be remembered for his resilience, his love of life, and his deep commitment to his family.”
According to a GoFundMe page, Norman, who is survived by his wife, two daughters, sons-in-law, and a grandson, “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.”
“Whether building something with his hands or sharing tales from the road, Jim brought energy and authenticity to everything he did.”
The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Kelleher, the deadly theft occurred about 12:20 p.m. Monday in the 600 block of Hidden Valley Parkway, less than a mile east of Interstate 15.
Deputies were sent to the location in response to 911 calls and learned from witnesses that a man had been carjacked. Kelleher said that as the investigation was unfolding, deputies were informed by Corona police officers that Norman had been found lying on Hidden Valley, east of where he’d been carjacked.
The victim was taken to a regional trauma center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, according to the sergeant.
Witnesses told investigators that a man had jumped into the driver’s seat of the SUV and sped away on the four-lane corridor, with Norman “partially inside the rear seat,” hanging half out of the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s department.
“The victim was dragged and ejected from the vehicle,” the agency stated.
Central Homicide Unit detectives learned from Riverside police that the victim’s SUV had been found near the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Polk Street.
Detectives were able to confirm the identity of the alleged assailant, Hewitt, and the 6-foot-5-inch defendant was taken into custody without incident at Magnolia and Tyler Street at 3 p.m. Monday
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
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