Man Found Dead After Being Carjacked In Valrico

VALRICO, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office say a man who was carjacked at gunpoint Tuesday morning in Valrico has been found dead. Deputies are gathered at Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Community Center at 2620 Washington Road in Valrico, where they say they have found the body of Mathew Korattiyil, 68, of Valrico.

The body was discovered by deputies behind the community center shortly before 4 p.m. The center is less than five minutes from CenterState Bank where he was carjacked. The sheriff's office isn't giving details at this time on the cause of death.

Korattiyil and his family attended the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Community Center but the sheriff's office isn't saying how his body came to be there.

Korattiyil was in his Lexus SUV in the parking lot of CenterState Bank, 1815 State Road 60 in Valrico, around 10:30 a.m. when deputies said James Hanson, 39, robbed the bank and then carjacked Korattiyil at gunpoint.

Deputies later located and pursued the Lexus, which hit another vehicle and overturned near the intersection of South St. Cloud Avenue and S.R. 60. Hanson tried to run away but was apprehended by deputies.

Korrattiyil was not in the Lexus when it crashed and the sheriff's office, joined by the FBI, had been searching for him all afternoon.

"This is not the outcome any of our deputies hoped for after working tirelessly to locate Mr. Korattiyil," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "We committed nearly 100 deputies and members of the FBI to searching for him, but unfortunately this innocent man's life was taken at a location less than five minutes from where he was kidnapped. Tonight we are grieving with his family and the Valrico community. Senseless acts of violence like this are not common in Hillsborough County, but they will never be tolerated. We will work to make sure the person responsible for Mr. Korattiyil's murder is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Hanson is currently being questioned by detectives and charges are forthcoming.

Hanson has a lengthy criminal history that includes the following:

Florida charges - Burglary with assault of battery, passing forged instruments, larceny, burglary of dwelling with assault, burglary of dwelling unarmed, grand theft, trespassing after warning, robbery with firearm.

North Carolina charges- Robbery with dangerous weapon, possession of stolen goods, conspiracy to commit armed robbery.