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Editor's Note: The following news article includes interviews with the girlfriend of the victim in the 2013 Ten Sleep Canyon shooting. The victim was unable to be interviewed due to a language barrier.

By Zach Spadt

Staff Writer

WORLAND - A beautiful day of climbing and camping in Ten Sleep Canyon nearly ended in tragedy for a young couple from Quito, Ecuador.

Ana Deaconu and her boyfriend, José Araujo were camped out in Ten Sleep Canyon on Sept. 16, 2013, when her boyfriend, a victim of a random act of violence, was shot in the chest.

An investigation at that time by the Washakie County Sheriff's Office turned up few clues, but that all changed last month when Jesus Deniz, 18, of Worland, was charged with attempted second degree murder.

Shooting in Ten Sleep Canyon

Deaconu and Araujo travelled from Ecuador during the fall of 2013 to rock climb in Ten Sleep Canyon. After what Deaconu referred to as their "best climbing day," they camped in Ten Sleep Canyon near Leigh Creek.

At about 2 a.m. Deaconu said, they were asleep in their tent when they were suddenly awakened by something hitting the outside of the tent. Upon investigation outside, they discovered that it was a large tree branch. Assuming Mother Nature was just playing tricks, they returned to their tent.

Then, another object struck the outside of the tent.

After the second object struck the tent - it turned out to be a large rock - Deaconu and Araujo fled to their vehicle. They would later learn that it was the shooter's attempt to lure them out of their tent.

"I made it to the car door only to remember I didn't have the key on me. Then came the gunshot," Deaconu said, adding that she didn't expect the sound to be so stifled. "I turned back toward the tent. José was getting up - I hadn't realized he'd fallen. In the bushes, a figure 30 feet away was moving toward the old highway. A car drove off."

Deaconu said her boyfriend didn't feel much pain, and noted that he was able to walk and get into the car without any problem.

"At that point, we still didn't realize he had actually been shot with a real gun ... we imagined it must have only been a BB gun because the sound was not nearly as loud as we would have expected it to be," she said.

Araujo had actually been shot in the chest with a .22 rifle - the same rifle authorities allege that Deniz used in a double-murder in Montana last July.

Racing to find help

Deaconu drove her critically wounded boyfriend from Ten Sleep Canyon to Washakie Medical Center in Worland where they learned he had suffered several broken ribs and a collapsed left lung as a result of being shot.

"We initially got in the car just to get somewhere where we could feel safe because we did not at first realize José was in grave condition. However, he soon began to feel increasing pain deep inside his chest and began having trouble breathing. We realized that we had to find medical help - and fast," Deaconu said.

"We would have called 911 once we got into an area with reception, but I had left my phone in our tent. Our next hope was to get help in the town of Ten Sleep, but because we were driving behind the person who attacked us, it didn't seem like the best idea. In any case, true to its name, Ten Sleep was fast asleep at these hours. Even the Ten Sleep Saloon was closed."

Driving her boyfriend to Worland, Deaconu said the couple was afraid to get too close to the shooter's vehicle, fearing that he would shoot again.

"We finally darted past him in Ten Sleep, as fast as we could, to not give him time to shoot," Deaconu said.

Sometime during the drive between Ten Sleep and Worland, Araujo stopped talking. Deaconu could not hear him breathing. She remembered reaching speeds of up to 100 mph. It took her about 20 minutes to reach Worland.

"I was scared because I knew José was dying," Deaconu said. "I knew I had to keep my head clear to be able to get him somewhere where he could be treated, and get him there fast. José made a strong effort to speak again and said, 'Don't drive so fast. After all this, it would be a shame if we died in a car accident.' I slowed down, just in time to swerve around a bull elk that was slowly crossing the road."

Deaconu said she vaguely remembers seeing a hospital sign upon arriving in Worland. When they reached Worland, they stopped at a hotel for directions. She asked the night receptionist to point them in the right direction. "He was very helpful," she said.

"The ER staff saved his life," Deaconu said, adding that her boyfriend was life-flighted to St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings about 45 minutes after arriving at Washakie Medical Center.

"We spent the next few days in the hospital, focusing on Jose's recovery when our eyes were open - and reliving the trauma when our eyes were closed."

Araujo was cleared to travel back to Ecuador on Oct. 1, 2013. Deaconu flew back Oct. 5, her originally scheduled departure date.

The bullet from Araujo's gunshot wound still rests in his back. It gives him pain from day-to-day and he hopes to someday have it removed.

Doctors didn't remove the bullet when Araujo was initially treated because the only way to remove the bullet would be through his back.

"Due to the bullet wound and the hole they made in his lung to drain the blood, the only position feasible for him to be in was on his back. They said it wasn't necessary to remove the bullet, and that it would be impossible to get it all out because there are various shards," Deaconu said.

Finding closure

After learning that Deniz was named as the suspect in the shooting of her boyfriend, Deaconu said she was shocked.

Deaconu also offered her condolences to the Shane and Deniz families.

Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness said he never imagined that it would be Deniz who committed the 2013 shooting.

"We're glad that the case is going to be closed and that Ana and José can move on with their lives. We have a warrant down here for him," Rakness said, adding, "more than likely, he's never going to come back here. But stranger things have happened."

Deaconu said that she and her boyfriend hope to someday visit Wyoming again and they are relieved to know that a suspect is in custody.

"It's nice to know it wasn't someone from Ten Sleep because we would like to go back there and climb. We weren't too excited about doing that if the person who shot José was lurking around.

"There's no reason not to go to Wyoming," she added.