Motorist dies after being shot and run over with his own car in Woodland Hills

Authorities are searching for a man suspected of shooting a 22-year-old motorist, stealing his car and running him over in Woodland Hills late Tuesday.

Officers were called to the 23000 block of Leonora Drive about 8 p.m., where they found a man who had been shot multiple times lying in the street. The man, identified as Dexterkane Justice James, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Officer Greg Kraft of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Kraft said the gunman shot James, then got in his car and ran over the wounded man as he drove off. Police found the vehicle abandoned several blocks away, but the suspect has not been found.

Witness Sam Kindseth told KABC-TV that he heard gunshots and saw James’ body being dragged by the moving car.

“[The suspect] was trying to pull the guy into his car, almost to like, hide the evidence, but maybe he couldn’t get him in the car, and he just ran out of time and he took off and ran him over,” Kindseth told the station.

Detectives initially theorized that the shooting was the result of a carjacking, although now they suspect James and the gunman may have known each other, Kraft said.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry

UPDATES:

12:40 p.m.: This article was updated with the victim’s name and additional details from police.

This article was originally published at 6:55 a.m.