A California couple is fortunate to be alive after a harrowing theft left them scrambling for his or her lives up a scorched Hawaii volcano — the place their attacker “hunted” them with a drone and weapons for almost a day.
Justina and Alex Lucero, musicians from Santa Cruz, have been visiting Maui for work in early June after they took a visit to Haleakalā Nationwide Park on a time without work.
“Everyone was great. All of the locals and all of the vacationers that we bumped into have been nice,” Alex informed KHON, explaining how they have been suggested to go to the black sand seaside close to the tip of the 64-mile Street to Hana, a distant however common scenic route that follows the northeast coast of the island.
Upon nearing the seaside, they encountered a “Street Closed” signal that had been knocked over however thought nothing of it, as locals had suggested them it was not closed and that they have been free to go.
“We weren’t suspicious of something like that,” Justina stated. “We have been informed that the locals there’ll use the identical street, and if they arrive up behind you, simply pull off to the aspect and allow them to go as a result of they’re going to be not trying on the similar surroundings the way in which that you’ll.”
So when a truck got here up behind them, the couple thought nothing of it and pulled over because it drove previous — however after rounding a flip, they discovered it blocking their path, and a masked driver leapt out.
“[He] jumps out and comes proper at us with the gun and stops us in the course of the road,” Justina stated, recalling how he demanded they get out of their rental automotive, a silver Mustang.
Alex stated the felony barked, “Go away all valuables, depart the keys.
“Empty your pockets, depart every little thing within the automotive, and begin strolling that method now.”
The couple did as they have been informed and started slowly strolling away, however after they heard their automotive begin and velocity towards them, they took off operating into the comb.
“Now he’s coming in direction of us. So we very, in a short time went from a quick stroll to a dash up this gulch,” Alex stated, explaining they determined in a second to run for larger floor — straight up the ashen face of Haleakalā Volcano.
“He’s yelling for us to indicate ourselves. ‘Yeah, I’ll discover you! I’ll discover you!’ And in some unspecified time in the future he counts down from, I don’t know if it was 10 or I heard him at 5. And on the finish of it, he shot the gun off,” Alex stated.
Justina added, “At that time, we knew it was loaded. We knew he meant enterprise.”
Because the couple pressed on and the solar started to set, their pursuer was joined by two extra vehicles, they usually may see folks looking out the world with flashlights.
A drone was even deployed and scanned the panorama with a highlight, which introduced on a brand new wave of terror within the Luceros.
“This sense of being hunted and never realizing the extent of, you already know, what they’d do, what they needed and who he had at his fingertips to assist,” Justina stated.
Alex stated, “I had mentally come to the conclusion that we have been going to die.”
The couple stored shifting all through the night time, consuming from a waterfall because the air grew chilly, and are available dawn noticed males on horseback using with canine. Uncertain if the lads have been pleasant or their hunters, the couple stored shifting.
Lastly, they got here throughout a shelter the place a park ranger was stationed, and greater than 24 hours after they’d got down to the Nationwide Park, their nightmare was over.
Police shortly decided the character of their ordeal match habits of a recognized suspect, who police described to the pair as a “menace.”
Every week later, suspect Christopher Helmer was arrested by the Maui Police Division on unrelated terroristic risk and kidnapping expenses — however he additionally had been caught using within the Lucero’s rented Mustang and had allegedly tried to make use of their stolen bank cards throughout Maui.
Days later, Helmer was indicted for firearms, theft, automotive theft and medicines expenses linked to the Luceros’ incident.
“His victims have endured harrowing experiences, and we sit up for bringing him to justice,” Maui prosecutor Andrew Martin informed KHON.
Police additionally famous Helmer had been “implicated in a number of incidents throughout the island.”
“With Helmer in custody, we wish to reassure our residents and guests that they will take consolation in realizing that this particular person is not a risk to public security,” MPD stated
Supply hyperlink
