Joseph Hetzel, a Lompoc Valley resident accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend in Solvang on Friday night and taking her to Arizona and Nevada before releasing her, was arrested Tuesday evening in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hetzel, 52, was taken into custody at about 6 p.m., according to Kelly Hoover, a spokewoman with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Hetzel was booked at the Henderson Detention Center in Nevada on charges of carjacking and kidnapping, with bail set at $1 million dollars, Hoover said.
“This is a dynamic investigation in its early stages involving an area encompassing three states and multiple jurisdictions,” Hoover said. “The Sheriff’s Office will release more details tomorrow as they become available.”
The arrest came after a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge signed an arrest warrant for Hetzel.
A criminal complaint filed in Superior Court has charged Hetzel with kidnapping during a carjacking and stalking, along with an enhancement noting this will be his second strike.
Hetzel is accused of abducting his ex-girlfriend, Lompoc resident Virginia Paris, 55, in Solvang, and taking her to Arizona, where they were spotted Sunday morning, and Monday morning at different locations.
Paris was released at Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino in Henderson, Nevada late Monday night, but Hetzel’s whereabouts were not known after he abandoned the woman’s car, authorities said Tuesday morning.
Judge John McGregor signed the arrest warrant on Tuesday, and court documents related to the incident reveal more details about how it unfolded.
Authorities were alerted to the incident Friday night, when Paris texted a male coworker she had dated, saying only “help,” according to the law enforcement declaration by Detective Travis Henderson to support the arrest warrant.
Later text messages said “I am OK,” “I am fine,” “No one can help me.” and “101s,” which deputies believed meant they were southbound on Highway 101.
A deputy called the woman’s phone, only to hear her say, “I am in trouble. Help. … Give me the phone,” the declaration said, adding it seemed as if someone had grabbed the phone from the woman.
Law enforcement officers said the woman’s voice sounded in distress and a male could be heard in the background.
At 12:50 a.m. Saturday, Hetzel reportedly was spotted getting prescription medicine in a 24-hour drive-through lane at a Walgreens in Chino, the declaration said.
Deputies immediately traveled south to view video of the transaction, where Hetzel, the driver, appeared to be talking to a passenger who was not visible on the video.
The man and missing woman were spotted Saturday morning after Paris sought help at a Starbucks in Goodyear, Arizona, but Hetzel pulled the woman from the coffee shop and forced her into the vehicle.
On Monday morning they were seen checking out a hotel in Grand Canyon Inn in Valle, Arizona, where Paris said she had been taken against her will, telling the clerk to seek help. Authorities believed they were headed to Las Vegas.
While she was released in Henderson, her car was found in Mesquite, Nevada, but Hetzel’s whereabouts were not known.
Paris told authorities he may be headed to Utah.
A coworker alerted to the pleas for help told deputies he was aware of the tumultuous relationship the woman had with Hetzel, the declaration said.
At one point Hetzel allegedly showed up at her workplace, asking Paris to be marry him in front of witnesses.
After their relationship soured, she sought a restraining order against Hetzel, but he had not been served as of Friday, authorities said.
When they began investigating the alleged kidnapping, deputies were familiar with Hetzel and his alleged “erratic and threatening behavior” involving another ex-girlfriend.
The alleged kidnapping occurred weeks after another ex-girlfriend, Rhea Rogers, her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend received a permanent restraining order against Hetzel.
“I am fearful for my life due to how he’s behaved in the the past and his history,” Rogers said in seeking what began as a temporary restraining order request May 9.
In granting the restraining order through July 21, 2020, Commissioner Von Deroian noted “clear and convincing evidence that harassment occurred.”
The judge told Hetzel to remain 500 yards from the three people plus two pets.
He had sought a restraining order against Rogers, but the commissioner denied the request.
Rogers told deputies Hetzel possessed firearms, claiming he previously had said he didn’t want to return to prison and would go out in a blaze of glory rather than face arrest.
Hetzel, who filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August, has had a number of other encounters with law enforcement officers, including for possession and use of narcotics along with stalking and vandalism.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.