The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says deputies stopped a kidnapping in progress late Tuesday night in the Montecito area.
Sheriff's officials say a deputy spotted an RV with its pop-out sections extended traveling southbound on Highway 101 near Olive Mill Road and conducted a traffic stop.
As the deputy approached the RV, he reportedly observed a domestic disturbance inside the vehicle.
A woman was driving, and according to the sheriff's office, the passenger — identified as 34-year-old Matthew Parsadayan of Newport Beach — had forced her to drive toward Orange County. Sheriff's officials say that before the traffic stop, Parsadayan had threatened the victim with two knives, put his arms around her neck, and fired a handgun out of the window.
Deputies reportedly found a Glock pistol and a spent 9mm casing in the RV.
The victim's infant was also in the vehicle, according to sheriff's officials.
Parsadayan was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, child cruelty, and kidnapping a child.
He is in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
