For almost a decade, Hatzel Vela has been telling stories in what he calls "some of the most amazing cities in America." But it was time to come home.
Hatzel joined the Local 10 News team in 2014 because he wanted to be back in South Florida telling the stories of the people in the community where he grew up.
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In his first five months at Local 10, Hatzel had the chance to cover some of the biggest local and national stories. He was live at the marriage license office in Miami-Dade County, where the first licenses were issued to gay couples in Florida.
Weeks prior, he traveled to Washington to cover the release of Alan Gross, the contract worker who was imprisoned in Cuba and was the impetus to the change in U.S.-Cuba relations. He was live telling viewers what was happening on the ground as a group of protestors shut down a busy highway near midtown Miami. In Tallahassee, he was the only reporter to tell story of a college student who barely missed the bullets of a shooter.
Most recently, the Emmy Award-winning journalist was part of the team at WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington. Hatzel was part of an Emmy Award-winning team for a special on the election of Pope Francis. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his work on immigration, a beat he created for himself.
"One of the perks about working in our nation's capital was the ability to witness history," said Vela, who remembers being in the Senate chambers when that legislative body passed a bipartisan bill.
Among other big stories, Hatzel was one of the first reporters on scene of a shooting at the Columbia Mall.
In addition to his reporting duties, Hatzel contributed stories and on-air presence to two separate shows: "Agenda," Washington's only bilingual news program, and "Government Matters," a show about the business of government, which airs on the American Forces Network, a worldwide broadcast network which serves nearly 1 million American servicemen and women, civilians and their families overseas.
Before Washington, Hatzel was a reporter at KNXV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix. While working in the Grand Canyon State, he was able to cover immigration protests following the passing of SB1070, arguably the toughest anti-illegal immigration measure at the state level. He traveled to Tucson to cover the shooting, which injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other Tucson residents. Near the end of his tenure, he closely followed the federal bench trial of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Hatzel started his on-air reporting career in Charleston, S.C., at WCSC-TV, the CBS affiliate. It's at the powerhouse station where Hatzel said he earned his reporting chops. During his time at Live 5 News, Hatzel covered hurricanes and many city and school board meetings. But he fondly remembers covering the 2008 South Carolina presidential debate and primaries.
Nicaraguan by birth, Hatzel considers himself American. He's fascinated by early American history, especially by some of the founding fathers. He loves art history, good food and reconnecting with old friends now that he is home.
Best of all, he's happy to be home close to family.
Hatzel wants to hear from you.
Email Hatzel at hvela@local10.com.
Follow Hatzel Vela on Twitter @hatzelvela