On Saturday afternoon, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office received 911 calls about a man making death threats in Diamond Valley, including one from the man himself, who threatened violent acts while on the phone with public safety dispatchers. The man, identified as 73-year-old Virgil Neigel, has a criminal history of aggravated assault and of threatening law enforcement.
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) deputies responded to the area and learned the suspect made death threats to neighbor who resides at an elder care home next door, which prompted the care home to go on lock down to secure the residents from harm. They also learned that the suspect was inside his residence but when patrol deputies attempted to call him out of the house Neigel refused.
During this time, YCSO dispatch received another phone call from someone familiar with Neigel. This caller explained they had a very recent conversation with him and that he stated that he would not go back to jail and would force a deadly encounter if law enforcement became involved. It was also learned that Neigel was highly intoxicated.
Based on that information, and Neigel’s criminal history which showed he was currently on felony probation for a Yavapai Superior Court conviction in November of 2022 for aggravated assault for pointing a gun at a female neighbor and pulling the trigger (the gun did not go off), and a conviction in the 1980s for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, as well as Neigel’s repeated refusal to exit the home, YCSO and Prescott Valley PD readied the Quick Response Team for a barricade situation with a dangerous person.
After hours of attempts to have Neigel surrender, and with a search warrant in hand, the decision was made to call for full SWAT response. Once SWAT made the initial entry, PVPD responded with a K9 who located Neigel hiding in a room behind a wall, with a hatchet on the floor next to his hand.
Neigel was arrested and taken to the hospital for medical treatment for serious intoxication and injuries sustained during his arrest. Neigel will be booked and charged with Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct, and Threatening or Intimidating.