HAVASUPAI, AZ — A New York woman traveled across the country for what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Supai, Arizona, only to find herself fighting for her life after a violent encounter with a repeat offender on the Havasupai reservation.
Alexis spent hundreds of dollars on permits to access the reservation and hike its trails — an experience that is not easy to access. Her mother, Tricia, spoke from New York City about the trip her daughter had planned.
"She's still numb from it," Tricia said.
Earlier this month, Alexis was hiking a trail on the reservation when she asked for directions from a man she immediately got a bad feeling about.
"Just by his body language, he had the look of evil in his eyes," Tricia said.
The man was identified as 29-year-old Taylor Nardo Paya, a Havasupai Tribe member and previously convicted felon for robbery. According to an FBI affidavit, after Alexis asked for directions and began to sense danger, she started to walk away — and felt a slash across her neck.
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Ring camera video from a nearby gift shop captured Alexis fighting off Paya, who cut her neck and wrist with a pocket knife. She was eventually able to escape and get help from someone at the gift shop.
"No words that can ever express the gratitude I have for the courage they have to just step outside when they saw what was going on," Tricia said.
Officials say Paya stole Alexis' phone, which had fallen from her backpack during the struggle. Police used the stolen phone's location to track Paya to a nearby house. When the only officer on the reservation at the time arrived, Paya slammed the door. A warrant was obtained the following day, and Paya was arrested and placed in federal custody. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian country.
Tricia said she wanted to share her daughter's story to raise awareness for visitors and to push for increased safety efforts on the reservation.
"For the hundreds of thousands of people who hike those trails, you don't have to be a woman. Although he was a predator on women, it could be anyone," Tricia said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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