Carjacking turns deadly at Norco parking lot

A 79-year-old man was killed Monday afternoon following a carjacking at the car wash of a Norco gas station.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a vehicle theft just before 12:30 p.m. on the 600 block of Hidden Valley Parkway. A witness reported seeing a man enter the driver's seat of a vehicle in the lot with the owner partially inside the rear seat.

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As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement learned the victim was vacuuming his Chevy Trailblazer in the back door behind the passenger seat when a man approached his vehicle and got into the driver's seat. Somehow, the victim got stuck in the SUV as the thief drove off.

A 78-year-old man was carjacked in Norco while vacuuming his car then dragged by the vehicle. Christian Cazares reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025.

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About a mile away, the victim fell out of the vehicle and was dragged on the road, making him suffer serious injuries in the process. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement officials were able to find the stolen vehicle in Riverside. Several people have since been detained for questioning.

Officials identified the victim as James Norman, 79, of Corona.