Latest news with #RiversideCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Norco carjacking victim was going to meet family for dinner before being dragged to death: Family
The Brief James Norman, a 79-year-old U.S. Army veteran, was dragged to death during a violent carjacking incident. Norman's daughter believes her father may have been unaware of the incident since he was not wearing hearing aids. Norman was getting ready to join his family for dinner before the incident, family told FOX 11. A Riverside County family is heartbroken after a 79-year-old U.S. Army veteran was dragged to death in a carjacking incident at a gas station-car wash in Norco. What they're saying FOX 11 spoke with the daughter of James Norman, who died in Monday's horrific carjacking incident. Norman's daughter reveals her father was getting ready to meet his family for dinner that night as he was vacuuming his Chevrolet Trailblazer at the car wash area. It was at the gas station-car wash area where he got caught in a carjacking situation that left him getting dragged on the road. Norman was believed to not have hearing aids on so there was a possibility that he may not have been aware of what was going on, according to the 79-year-old veteran's daughter. "It's a horrible feeling and I hope he went quickly just to think of him being drug a quarter mile or so. Um, I know that street very well. It's where I grew up that he was just ejected from the car. He really was roadkill. He was just left for dead," his daughter said. After Norman was found lying on the road, it is also believed that two bystanders stood over his body along Hidden Valley Parkway so the 79-year-old would not get hit by passing cars. "I envisioned him laying as roadkill by himself, and it felt good that somebody was there with him in his last moments," his daughter said. What we know The suspect in the deadly incident, 29-year-old Ryan Hewitt, has since been arrested. He is being booked for carjacking and murder. The Source This report used information provided by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office and James Norman's family.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP governor hopeful Sheriff Chad Bianco wows friendly crowd in Bakersfield
He was the second Republican gubernatorial candidate to come to Bakersfield within the past week. And while there's still 17 months to go before California elects a new governor in November 2026, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seemed happy to be planting his flag for the Sacramento statehouse right here in Bakersfield. "I will start by saying I'm an unapologetic, God-fearing, freedom-loving, patriotic American," Bianco said to cheers from more than 200 members and guests of Bakersfield Republican Women Federated, which hosted the event Tuesday afternoon at Seven Oaks Country Club. The Golden State is at a pivotal time in its history, and it's critical, he said, that Republicans take back the governorship. Bianco grew up in a tiny town in Utah, and came to California in 1989 to achieve what he called "the California Dream," a goal he said he achieved, thanks to his wife and family — and landing the perfect job. "At the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, I have 4,400 employees, we have 17 contract cities that we contract law enforcement services with," Bianco told the gathering. "I have six county jails, I have 16 county courthouses. I'm also the public administrator and the county coroner. It's an extremely large operation," he said. "My operating budget is $1.2 billion." In introducing Bianco to the Bakersfield audience, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Bianco is the right person at the right time for California. "I'm proud to be here today. I didn't have to be here," Youngblood said. "But I think so much of Chad Bianco. I think he would be the greatest governor that we've ever had." Bianco slammed what he called the liberal agenda, a world of bad choices in the justice system, overregulation and taxation. "If you ask a 5-year-old or a 90-year-old what is the responsibility of law enforcement, both of them are going to say, 'Arrest bad guys and put 'em in jail,'" he said. "That is what you do. "You ask anyone in the middle, and you get all political and you don't know what the answer is because you get emotionally involved instead of common sense and reason, and you lose track of what we are supposed to be doing." When Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would not run for reelection, Bianco said he watched as a number of Democrats began lining up for the job. "California is the most unfriendly business state in the country, and all of the people that are responsible for that are now running for governor," he said. "There were nine Democrats who had already announced they were running for governor when I decided I was going to run." Later he asked a question of the partisan audience: "Are any of you happy with California?" "No!" came the answer in unison. Bianco did take a swipe at Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron who spoke to another group of Bakersfield Republicans last week. "He's not a leader," Bianco said of Hilton. Bianco also offered a question and answer session, and when he ran out of time he spoke with people individually outside the country club's banquet room. David Hartley, an independent oil producer in Kern, Tulare and Fresno counties, told Bianco that upon entering office, Newsom vowed to put local independent producers out of business. "Bianco's rhetoric matches up with his overall strategy on oil and ag," Hartley said. "I would just need to see details." He would need to see what Bianco actually knows. "Does he and his team understand what needs to be done," Hartley said, "to turn this ship around?"
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California grandfather killed in violent carjacking
Family members are devastated after a grandfather was killed in a violent carjacking in Riverside County. 'He lived a good life, modest,' Nicole Lauritsen said of her father, James Norman, 79. 'He had a big heart.' On May 12, Norman was parked at an Arco gas station on Hidden Valley Parkway in Norco at around 12:22 p.m., located about five minutes away from his home. He was vacuuming his Chevy Trailblazer SUV and left the doors open. As he was cleaning, a male suspect, Ryan Hewitt, 29, of Corona, suddenly jumped into the driver's seat and started the car. As the suspect began backing the car up, Norman, who was still partially in the back seat, became trapped. '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 said. Norman was dangling from the car and was dragged about a half-mile up the road before he was ejected from the moving vehicle, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said. He suffered critical injuries and was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital, where he died from his injuries. 'He knew my dad was hanging, but he panicked and just kept going until he fell out of the car,' Lauritsen said. '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.' Norman's SUV was later found abandoned near Polk Street and Magnolia Avenue in Riverside. They found Hewitt a few blocks away, where he was arrested for carjacking and murder. Investigators were able to find the car because Lauritsen had placed an Apple AirTag inside. She said several good Samaritans helped shield Norman from oncoming traffic as he was left lying on the road. 'I'm struggling with the vision I have of how he went down,' Lauritsen said. 'I imagine he was so scared.' Heartbroken, she said her father was an army veteran and had spent his career working in truck transport and construction. She's grateful the suspect was caught and wants to see justice for her father's death. 'I'm angry, I'm hurt,' she said. '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.' Norman is survived by his wife, two daughters and a grandson. 'He will be remembered for his resilience, his love of life, and his deep commitment to his family,' his family wrote on a GoFundMe page. An arraignment hearing for Hewitt is scheduled for May 14. He remains in custody on $1 million bail. The deadly incident is under investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. No additional suspects are believed to be involved. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Central Homicide Master Investigator Deanne at 951-955-2777 or Jurupa Valley Station Investigator Ramirez at 951-955-2600. A GoFundMe page to help Norman's family with funeral expenses can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Miami Herald
79-year-old vacuuming SUV dragged to death in carjacking, California cops say
A 79-year-old man died after being dragged up to a half-mile by his carjacked SUV, California sheriff's officials reported. James Norman of Corona died following the violent theft at 12:22 p.m. Monday, May 12, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Norman was vacuuming the back seat of his Chevrolet Trailblazer outside a Norco car wash when an accused carjacker jumped in the front seat and drove away, deputies told KTLA. He became trapped in the back seat, then fell to the pavement and was dragged up to a half-mile before falling off, deputies told KCAL. Norman was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, sheriff's officials said in the news release. The stolen SUV was later found parked in Riverside, deputies said. Detectives arrested Ryan Hewitt, 29, of Corona on charges of carjacking and murder following an investigation, the sheriff's office said. An investigation continues but investigators believe no other suspects were involved. They ask anyone with information to call 951-955-2777 or 951-955-2600. Norco is about a 50-mile drive east from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Strange' handling of John Elway golf cart incident called out by ex-prosecutor who says mistakes were made
A former federal prosecutor in California said he thinks the sheriff's office involved in investigating John Elway's golf cart incident is either being dishonest or not doing its job. According to officials, Elway's longtime friend and agent, Jeffrey Sperbeck, 62, fell off the back of a golf cart at the Madison Club in La Quinta, California. A Cal Fire spokesperson told Fox News Digital the agency responded to the incident at 6:50 p.m. March 26. Sperbeck sustained "serious injuries" and was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he died Wednesday. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation into the golf cart incident. Elway hasn't been charged with any crime. Fox News Digital confirmed Friday that Elway has retained Denver-based lawyer Harvey Steinberg. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office said in a Friday evening post on X that "there's nothing to indicate that this is anything more than a tragic accident." TMZ reported Elway was driving the golf cart at the time of the incident and was leaving a Stagecoach after-party. Public records show Elway has a property 10 minutes away from the Madison Club. California Sheriff Learned Of John Elway Golf Cart Incident Two Days Later, Says It's Now Investigating The Riverside County Sheriff's Office said it "received information" Monday, two days after the incident. Fox News Digital asked the sheriff's office why it hadn't learned about the incident until two days later but didn't receive a response. A Cal Fire spokesperson said the Riverside County Sheriff's Office wasn't asked to respond to the incident "due to the call being medical in nature." Read On The Fox News App Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital the Riverside County Sheriff's Office is "either being less than honest or not doing their job" in response to why it took two days for the agency to learn of the incident. "Nothing else makes sense," Rahmani added. He said it's "strange" that law enforcement didn't respond to the incident. "Maybe it's a good thing it's coming from a 'former federal prosecutor,' It appears we are all much better off with them in retirement, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Fox News Digital in response to the comments. John Elway Golf Cart Incident: Former Broncos Legend Hires Lawyer With History Of Repping Athletes In Trouble The Riverside County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday it would "take appropriate action based on the outcome" of the investigation. Elway publicly commented on the incident after Sperbeck died Wednesday, according to ESPN. "I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck," Elway said. "There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me." Sperbeck's family also released a statement after his death. "We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Jeff Sperbeck. He was a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and friend to many and will be profoundly missed by all," the Sperbeck family said. "We are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends, the Elways, and the many other clients Jeff called friends." Elway and Sperbeck became friends in 1990 after Sperbeck became Elway's manager. Among Sperbeck's other clients are Pro Football Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott and Jim Plunkett, and the agent has represented hundreds of other NFL players. Fox News Digital reached out to Elway's lawyer for article source: 'Strange' handling of John Elway golf cart incident called out by ex-prosecutor who says mistakes were made
