An Edmonton teen is thankful to be home after a bus she was travelling on, was taken over by several bandits in Mexico.
16-year-old Ariel Ostrander was on the tail end of a trip to visit her grandfather in the southern city of Puerto Escondido, when a bus she was on was hijacked.
Five men took over the bus, which was heading to the Mexico City airport, at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
The bandits demanded belongings from the fifteen passengers on board, and then things turned violent.
“The bad and upsetting part is the bus driver having been stabbed,” said Ariel’s mother Stephanie Ostrander. “If she needs counselling … we will certainly do that.”
Ariel hid her passport and cellphone from the men, and was able to capture some pictures.
The Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement Monday morning addressing the incident.
"We are aware of an attack on a bus that affected a Canadian citizen in Mexico. Canadian consular officials have provided assistance and support. At this time, we have not received any reports that Canadians were injured."
Ariel’s mother says her daughter is a seasoned traveller, and their entire family has visited many different destinations, but they won’t be returning to Mexico for now.
