Deputies headed to a spot near Grove Way and Western Boulevard, in an unincorporated area outside of Hayward, at about 2 a.m. Tuesday in response to a 911 call from someone who reported seeing a man being choked.
The victim, a 72-year-old San Leandro man, told deputies a man had stolen his Honda Accord and his personal belongings then returned a few minutes later and began choking him, Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. Scott Dudek said.
The victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition and the suspect remains at large. He is described as a white or Hispanic man in his late 20s or early 30s with dark hair and acne on his face.
He was last seen driving the victim's car, a dark bluish-green 1989 Honda Accord with damage to the passenger-side door and California license plate No. 5HEZ762.
