Melissa Orth
, a 29-year-old American woman, embarked on a motorcycle trip from Colombia with a final destination in Ushuaia.
Her dream was to tour South America, but her journey was interrupted in Mendoza when
her vehicle was stolen
on February 4.
This Thursday, 11 days later, the provincial police found him in Godoy Cruz.
She had been given a new life: the motorcycle was about to participate in a
clandestine race
.
Orth had been traveling for more than a year.
In total, he covered about
18,000 kilometers from Medellín.
She had arrived in Colombia as a backpacker, in the middle of an adventure that began in September 2002. But in those lands she had the sudden idea of buying a motorcycle and embarking on the road on wheels.
In addition to Colombia, he passed through Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
In Argentina, she was dazzled by Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca, where she was struck by the sunsets with sunlight "bouncing off the mountains."
In the early hours of February 4, however, the idyll was interrupted.
She was sleeping in a hotel when two criminals took the motorcycle parked in front of the building, meters from General San Martín Park.
The robbery was captured on a security camera.
In the images, two motochorros can be seen approaching the parked motorcycle and taking it with total impunity.
All in just over a minute.
Video
Thieves took her away on February 4.
Now, the Police found her in Godoy Cruz, hours before she was used in a clandestine race.
The vehicle was equipped with a
tracker
, which provided a location in Luján de Cuyo, just south of the capital.
Despite the efforts of the Police and Orth herself, they could not recover it immediately.
To achieve this, they had to wait several more days.
Meanwhile, Orth tried to calm his grief.
On social networks, the photographer made a moving farewell story for her two-wheeled companion: "With a broken heart, I share with you that my beloved Honda was stolen. I have come this far, approximately 18,000 kilometers from Medellín to see my dream interrupted." to reach Ushuaia by motorcycle".
The motorcycle that was stolen from the young American woman in Mendoza.
"I don't want to be here anymore,"
was one of his last publications from Argentina, in which he also thanked the words of support and announced that he wanted to "recompose" his plans and the logistics to arrive in Ushuaia according to the planned deadlines.
Destruction and illegal racing, the fate of the motorcycle that was stolen from the traveler in Mendoza
But the stoy did not end there.
This Thursday the Police recovered the motorcycle in Godoy Cruz.
After analyzing images from the security cameras and collecting testimonies, the Automotive Theft Division came to the conclusion that the motorcycle would participate in a clandestine race scheduled for that night.
The agents went to the scene of the race and managed to recover the vehicle.
It had visible damage, particularly to the starter drum.
She was housed in the 40th Police Station.
From there they confirmed with the tourist that it was her motorcycle.
Video
Melissa is already in Chile, continuing her journey with a new vehicle.
"Now I don't have time to return to Mendoza," lamented the photographer who travels through South America.
The verification was done remotely, because Orth is already in Chile.
"Now I don't have time to return to Mendoza," he lamented after learning of the discovery of a vehicle with which he had become attached.
But the clock was ticking and she had to move on.
And she already has a replacement.
In Santiago he
bought another motorcycle, a Honda
It is the price of fulfilling the dream.
In the last few hours he uploaded a story to his social networks in which he clarified that he was not going to return to Mendoza.
He showed the photo of his "baby" that the Police sent him.
"They destroyed it, but I guess
I can sell it for parts.
Better than nothing, I guess," she concluded, heading south.