A woman was allegedly attacked and had her throat slashed by a convicted felon on the Havasupai Reservation in Arizona, authorities said. Alexis Rowan, 27, was hiking on August 12 when she stopped to ask Taylor Nardo Paya, 29, for directions to a gift shop.
According to an FBI affidavit, Paya, a member of the Havasupai Tribe, allegedly attacked Rowan from behind with a pocketknife as she walked away. Rowan sustained a wound several centimeters long across her neck and other injuries to her left hand, requiring 10 stitches in her neck and three in her hand. Ring-camera footage reportedly captured the struggle and showed Paya attempting to drag Rowan away after she fell.
Rowan told ABC7 New York that thoughts of her two children motivated her to fight back during the assault. A nearby resident heard Rowan screaming and provided her with initial first aid. During the struggle, Rowan's cellphone fell from her backpack and was allegedly taken by Paya.
Reservation police used the cellphone's location to trace Paya to a nearby home. After obtaining a warrant, authorities arrested Paya the following day and he was taken into federal custody. He has been charged federally with assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian country, as the alleged attack occurred on tribal land. His case is being handled in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Court records indicate Paya has a prior conviction for robbing and assaulting another woman on the Havasupai Reservation in December 2015. He pleaded guilty to robbery in September 2016 and was sentenced in December 2016 to five years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to undergo sex-offender treatment and counseling.
Rowan's mother, Tricia Rowan, stated that she decided to publicize her daughter's experience to warn other visitors and advocate for improved safety measures on the reservation. She acknowledged receiving kindness from other Havasupai Tribe members, particularly the resident who aided her daughter immediately after the attack.