YOU OFTEN SEE
THEM GOING DOOR TO
DOOR...BUT LAST WEEK
TWO MORMON
MISSIONARIES FOUND
THEMSELVES IN A
TERRIFYING
SITUATION--TAKEN
HOSTAGE AND HELD
AGAINST THEIR WILL FOR
HOURS.
THEY MANAGED TO
ESCAPE.
AND TONIGHT,
THEY'RE SHARING THEIR
STORY EXCLUSIVELY WITH
ACTION 7 NEWS
REPORTER, MATT
HOWERTON.
"this has really
brought me so much
joy."
THEIR FAITH IS
STRONG.
SOUNDS OF NATS
ELDERS ZUNIGA
DELGADO AND MICHAEL
WHITAKER SERVE THE
MORMON CHURCH.
THEY TRY TO SHARE
THEIR FAITH AROUND
ALBUQUERQUE--A JOB
THAT ISN'T ALWAYS
EASY.
THEY OFTEN
ENCOUNTER PEOPLE WHO
ARE HOSTILE TO THEM.
"if we feel strongly
like we should stay
away from a certain
area then we try to
avoid going to that
area."
"we have to be
careful."
LAST WEEK
WHITAKER AND DELGADO'S
FAITH WAS TESTED.
COURT DOCUMENTS
SAY THEY WERE INVITED
INTO ERWIN SMITH'S
APARTMENT....WHERE
THINGS TOOK A
DANGEROUS TURN. ...
BUT POLICE SAY
SMITH HELD THEM
HOSTAGE, AND BEGAN TO
"PHYSICALLY BATTER
THEM BY PUNCHING...
KICKING...AND ELBOWING
THEM."
AT ONE POINT,
INVESTIGATORS SAY
ERWIN GOT A KNIFE AND
BEGAN MAKING STABBING
MOTIONS TOWARDS THE
BACK OF THEIR HEADS.
AND SAID "I'M
GOING TO KILL YOU GUYS
AND HIDE YOUR BODIES
IN THE BATHTUB."
"the spirit really
comforted us."
"what we really did
at that point was just
try to calm him
down."
THIS ALL HAPPENED
OVER 3 HOURS...UNTIL
WHITAKER AND DELGADO
MADE A BREAK FOR THE
DOOR AND ESCAPED...
THEY FLAGGED DOWN
A POLICE OFFICER...WHO
THEN TOOK SMITH INTO
CUSTODY.
SOUNDS OF SHOE
WALKING
yet even after their
lives were placed in
danger...both elder
whitaker and delgado
were back on the
street going door to
door the next day...
their faith unshaken
..."
"it's the nature of
the work."
"sometimes yeah it
doesn't turn out
pleasant but in all
honesty its those
people that we're
trying to help out the
most
WHITAKER AND
DELGADO TELL ME
DESPITE THE SITUATION
...THEY'RE NOT HOLDING
A GRUDGE AGAINST SMITH
...
HE'S NOW FACES
CHARGES OF KIDNAPPING
AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
WITH A DEADLY WEAPON.
