Santa Barbara Sheriff Seeks Extradition of Kidnapping Suspect
Joseph Hetzel
Santa Barbara – In the early evening hours of September 1st, 52-year-old Lompoc resident Joseph Hetzel forced his way into a vehicle being driven by 55-year-old Virginia Paris, prior to which he had followed her from her place of employment in Solvang some 40 miles into downtown Santa Barbara and then engaged her in a verbal confrontation.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, it was when Paris attempted to drive away from the scene that Hetzel “took over driving her car.”
When Paris used her cellphone to “call a family member for help,” Hetzel took her phone from her and “kept physical control” of her throughout their journey to Goodyear, Arizona.
It was two full days later on September 3rd when—while visiting a Starbucks coffee shop—when Paris had her next opportunity to alert witnesses to the fact that she was a kidnap victim. At that point, Hetzel reportedly “grabbed her and physically removed her” from the coffee shop and, while “she is actively resisting,” forced her back into their vehicle.
Later that same day the pair arrived in Valle Arizona, spend the night at the Grand Canyon Inn, throughout which “the suspect does not let the victim leave the room and keeps physical control of the victim.”
As they were departing the hotel, Paris asked the hotel clerk to notify law enforcement, indicating her belief that they were heading to Las Vegas. The following night, Hetzel allowed Paris to make a phone call to her children, at which time she informed them she was in the Henderson, Nevada area and ultimately made good her escape by notifying hotel staff of her situation, whereupon she was “taken to a safe location” by hotel security.
On September 5th, Hetzel was located at a cocktail lounge in Las Vegas by deputies of the Henderson Police Department and taken into custody without incident. He was summarily booked into the Henderson Detention Center with his bail set at $1,000,000, where he is currently held pending extradition back to Santa Barbara.
Photo: Courtesy Henderson, NV Police Department Booking
