Young NY mom survives throat slashing attack on Arizona hiking trail after asking man for directions

A young New York mom is lucky to be alive after an Indigenous man allegedly slashed her throat while on a hike near the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Alexis Rowan, 27, stopped to ask Taylor Nardo Paya, 29, for directions just moments before he hunted her down and carried out a brutal ambush attack.

The August 12 incident occurred on the Havasupai Falls hiking trail. Paya, a sex offender and member of the Havasupai Tribe, allegedly approached Rowan from behind and slashed her throat with a knife. He then repeatedly punched her, grabbed her by the head, and threw her to the ground, according to court documents obtained by AZ Family.

The savage attack, captured on a home Ring camera, was interrupted by a neighbor who heard Rowan screaming for her life. "Had [the neighbor] not been home or had the bravery to step out on her porch, this would've been a totally different conversation," Tricia Rowan, the victim's mother, told local news.

The young mom sustained critical wounds. She traveled to Arizona to celebrate her birthday with a friend and was ambushed after they got separated on the hiking trail. Rowan now has a large scar on her neck and remains in recovery.
"The first and only person she saw, she asked, 'Is this the right way to the gift shop?' And right after she asked, she said she knew he had not a good look in his eye; she knew she was in trouble," said Tricia Rowan.

Federal authorities arrested Paya on charges including assault with a dangerous weapon. He has previous criminal convictions that landed him a five-year prison stint for a December 2015 robbery, which also involved a female victim. Additionally, Paya was ordered to undergo sex offender treatment, according to court records.

The Havasupai Tribe condemned the attack in a statement, saying that they were "devastated" by the assault on Rowan. "We want to be absolutely clear: violence against our visitors, our Tribal members, or anyone within our community is unacceptable and will not be condoned. The conduct alleged in this incident does not reflect the values of the Havasupai Tribe or the respect and hospitality that our community extends to the thousands of visitors who come to our homeland each year," said Havasupai Tribe Chairwoman Melinda Yaiva.

"We are especially grateful to the Tribal members who came to the victim's aid and to law enforcement in bringing the suspect into custody," she added.

Tricia Rowan said that if the neighbor hadn't intervened, the outcome likely would have been very different. "[My daughter's] going to have a scar that she's going to have to look at in the mirror every day to remind her, but she's strong," she said.