Gardhardt, 46, then pushed Arielle into the bushes near the trail, and picked up a rock and struck her 10 times in the head “while also grabbing the back of her hair and smashing her face into the ground,” authorities said in a statement per NBC News.
Arielle, 36, also reported that her husband took two syringes out of his bag and attempted to use them on her, but she told authorities per NBC News she “was able to get away from him.”
Per the documents, Gerdhardt’s attack only stopped when other hikers approached the area. A hiker identified by police as “Amanda,” said she heard Arielle yelling for help amid her own hike.
“Amanda described that the man had a rock in his hand and when he saw her, he stopped and got off of the woman,” the police report, per NBC News stated. “Amanda recalled that the woman, later identified as Arielle, stated, ‘He is trying to kill me. He is hitting me in the head with a rock.’”
Amanda’s hiking partner called 911, and after a brief foot chase, Gerdhardt was caught by authorities at around 6:10 p.m. local time. He is being held on bail for $5 million. Arielle was taken to Queens Medical Center by ambulance in “serious but stable” condition, according to police documents obtained by NBC News.
In a statement to E! News, a lawyer for Arielle shared that she is “focusing on her recovery at home in Maui with the support of her family” adding, “she kindly asks that the media and the public respect their privacy during this time.”
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