Man, 82, Unharmed in Carjack

An elderly stroke victim was found unharmed Wednesday shortly after he was abducted by two men who stole his car from a Wal-Mart parking lot in Hemet and later crashed it into a tree.

The two assailants had dropped off the 82-year-old man near a Hemet animal hospital before they crashed in the neighboring city of San Jacinto, killing one suspect and seriously injuring the other, police said.

Darrell Grangaard, who is recovering from a recent stroke, was in the back seat of his vehicle with the engine and air conditioning running while his wife made a quick stop into the Wal-Mart, said Hemet Lt. Dave Brown.

Police are not sure if the thieves knew Grangaard was in the car when they stole it, Brown said. The suspects’ identities were not released.

“It’s our belief that because he was dropped off, they might not have realized he was in there,� Brown said.

Grangaard’s wife notified police at about 1:30 p.m. About 40 minutes later, Hemet police received a report from San Jacinto of a major injury traffic accident.

The men appeared to have been speeding when the car broadsided a tree, Brown said.

“The car was completely wrapped around the tree,� Brown said. “It’s just a twisted piece of metal.�

The driver died at the scene; the other suspect was taken to a hospital.

Grangaard was found “dehydrated, disoriented, but OK,� almost three hours later about a mile from the Wal-Mart, Brown said.