A New York City mother of two described a terrifying ordeal in Arizona where she was violently slashed by a man with a history of assault, an attack that occurred just one day before her 27th birthday.
Alexis Rowan, 27, told The Post that the attack by Taylor Nardo Paya, 29, happened so quickly that her initial realization was that "everything was bloody." She recalled feeling a slice on her neck but was initially unaware her hand had also been stabbed. "I didn’t feel my hand get stabbed," Rowan said. "I was like where am I bleeding from because my hand was covered in blood."
Rowan was on a birthday hiking trip on the Havasupai Reservation when Paya allegedly attacked her moments after she asked him for directions. "Once I felt [my] neck got sliced, I was like, that’s it," she stated, recalling her fear of dying alone. "All I know is like this is not the way I’m going out, like this is not the way I’m ending my life."
Fortunately, a neighbor heard Rowan's cries for help and intervened, causing Paya to flee. Rowan credits the neighbor with saving her life. "She saved my life. Her opening the door made this man [run] away, scared him away," Rowan said, adding that the neighbor's home was covered in blood.
Rowan's mother, Tricia Rowan, expressed outrage at the attacker's past. "People are evil," she said. "You can’t fix him. People like that deserves to never see the light of day and walk free." Tricia Rowan described Paya as a "threat to society" and stated that such individuals belong "behind bars like an animal in a cage because they’re predators and they prey on innocent victims."
Online court records indicate that Paya has a significant criminal history, including a previous felony conviction. He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to robbing and assaulting a woman in December 2015. He was also ordered to undergo sex offender treatment and counseling.
Authorities arrested Paya on the reservation the day after the attack and he was taken into federal custody on August 17, as the incident occurred on tribal land. "So if he comes out, what next? Someone doesn’t survive," Tricia Rowan stated, emphasizing the importance of the attack being captured on a nearby Ring camera.
Alexis Rowan underwent treatment for her injuries, receiving 10 stitches in her neck and three stitches on her left hand. She has since returned to her family and children in New York City. "I never wants to look at another mountain again" after the traumatic experience in Arizona, she said.
Tricia Rowan vowed to pursue justice for her daughter. "I am that mom. Don’t mess with my babies," she warned. "I will not stop until justice is served." She described her daughter as a "fighter" and a "warrior."