The horrific ordeal, which the couple recounted as being carjacked, threatened at gunpoint and chased through Haleakala National Park, lasted more than 24 hours.
A California couple is sharing their harrowing story of how they were chased and robbed and then survived by hiding inside an active volcano!
While visiting Maui for work in early June, Justina and Alex Lucero said they were carjacked and robbed at gunpoint. While trying to escape, they cron 4 They had to hide and hike to Haleakala National Park.
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“Everything was great. All the locals and tourists we met were great,” Alex began his story, saying that a local suggested there was a black sand beach at the end of the road leading to Hana. But the GPS told him to follow a road with a “Road Closed” sign pushed to the side.
“And earlier that day, a local resident said, ‘Yes, you can go all the way. It used to be closed, but it’s not closed anymore.’ So we didn’t question that,” Justina added. “And we said, ‘The locals are going to use the same road, and if they’re coming up behind you, just pull over and let them pass, because they’re not going to see the same view that you do.”
As they passed the sign, a truck pulled out of the driveway. The Luceros pulled over to let the truck pass, but a few minutes later the vehicle returned and headed straight for them, they said.
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“[The driver] “The guy ran out and ran at us with a gun and stopped us in the middle of the street,” Justina said, describing the attacker as a man wearing a mask and a hooded sweatshirt.
They said the driver asked them to leave behind all their valuables and keys, empty their pockets, and then told them to walk in a certain direction. When they did, the car behind them started driving in their direction.
“Now, he's coming at us. So we went from a brisk walk very, very quickly to a sprint down this canyon,” Alex said.
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The couple sought refuge behind a large rock when they heard the suspect calling them.
“He was yelling at us to come out. 'Yeah, I'll find it. I'll find it.' And at one point he was counting down to 10, I think I heard him at 5. And at the end he shot the gun,” Alex said.
The pair said others joined them as the suspect searched for them, and both attempted to escape by climbing the active volcano wearing swimsuits and flip-flops and without cellphones.
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As day turned to night, their carjacker and his associates used flashlights and even drones to help them search. But the Luceros kept hiking higher and higher until they eventually found water at a small waterfall. It felt like they were being “hunted” the whole time.
It was more than 24 hours after the ordeal began before they found a park ranger who could help.
On June 8, Christopher Helmer was arrested on separate kidnapping and terroristic threats charges from May. According to the couple, he was found in a rental car and was trying to use a credit card. He was later charged with additional robbery, firearms, auto theft and drug charges in connection with the Lucero incident.