Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By Paul Takahashi (contact) 
Monday, July 23, 2012 | 11:34 p.m.
A “delirious” 41-year-old man allegedly broke into a Las Vegas home Saturday morning and struck the homeowner over the head with a guitar and a toilet bowl lid before trying to strangle him, according to Metro Police.
Officers were called to the 10800 block of Villa Torre Street in the Southern Highlands neighborhood shortly before 8 a.m. after receiving a call from a neighbor about a man throwing items from inside the residence onto the street, according to an arrest report.
A responding officer found Ronald Hetzel sitting on a curb outside the home, the report said. Hetzel was allegedly not wearing a shirt, was screaming incoherently and was “very hostile” toward the officer, the report said.
Backup was called after the officer ascertained that Hetzel was displaying “symptoms of Excited Delirium,” the report said.
The officers began to set up a perimeter around the home to contain Hetzel when he jumped over a back wall into an adjacent backyard, undetected by police, the report said.
Hetzel allegedly ripped the screen off the patio window of the house — located on the 10800 block of Osceola Mills Street — opened the window and entered the home, the report said. The homeowner confronted Hetzel, who began to fight with him, the report said.
During the nearly 20-minute fight, Hetzel allegedly struck the homeowner over the head with a wooden guitar and the porcelain lid to a toilet bowl, the report said. Hetzel also allegedly tried to strangle the homeowner multiple times, leaving him with many bruises, the report said.
Officers became aware of a struggle occurring in the neighboring residence and began approaching the house when Hetzel ran out and jumped over another wall into another adjacent house on Osceola Mills Street, the report said.
Hetzel was finally taken into custody by officers with the help of a police K-9 dog, the report said. Hetzel suffered injuries to his leg and was sent to UMC, the report said.
Accompanying officers said Hetzel allegedly made several death threats against the homeowner, according to the report.
The homeowner was transported to St. Rose Domincan Hospital’s Siena campus, where he was treated for his bruises and a large laceration above one of his eyes, the report said.
Hetzel was arrested and charged with home invasion, burglary, attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and battery with substantial harm.
Vegas heat strikes again.. *sighs*
This is a prime example of "you can't make this stuff up."
The guy is sitting on the curb, yet can jump over the *backyard* fence undetected while police are setting up a perimeter?
Someone can win "America's Got Talent" with material like this.
We must BAN GUITARS AND TOILET BOWL LIDS!!!!!
Jspence, exactly what I was thinking!
The Mind's eye...
When you're a character in a Stephen King novel, it's a FASCINATING view!!!
This is so Heavy Metal...
Dispute resolution when you don't have a gun. Much more civilized...........
@lbfromlv - quite right
can't believe metro didn't shoot the guy.
First this is a man on drugs and secondly this man does have children and I'm glad they didn't shoot him just because he was acting irratic! We do send our sympathys to the neighbors involved! And rest assured he will be punished appropriately for his actions! Moral of this story... Don't do drugs!!!!
"Bath Salts?"
Not bath salts.