A man who was held hostage in his Alpine home in September testified Wednesday that he thought he would not live through the ordeal.

"I had concluded after we had talked about the ransom that he had not thought this out and his only way out of this was to kill me," said Allen Alexander.

Alexander, who is the CEO of Savage Services, testified at a preliminary hearing that he and his wife were held hostage on Sept. 22 by Tyler Archuleta, who initially entered their home claiming to be a census worker. Archuleta allegedly asked questions about Alexander's family, but Alexander became suspicious when he was asked about his income.

Alexander said he began questioning who Archuleta worked for, and the man then pulled out a gun and knocked Alexander to the ground. Alexander then yelled out his wife's name, hoping she would hear him and run, he said.

Begging Archuleta not to shoot, Alexander told him he could have his credit cards, car or anything he wanted. Archuleta, however, stuck his gun in the back of Alexander's neck and took him to the kitchen, where his wife was on the phone, Alexander said.

"I never had a gun in the back of my head and my back and pointed at me," he said. "I didn't know what his intent was."

Archuleta demanded to know who Alexander's wife had called, and she told him it was a neighbor. She claimed the number would not show up on the phone, but instead called her back at Archuleta's insistence, but using her cell phone, Alexander said.

The group then went into a back bedroom because Archuleta wanted to get away from the windows, he said. There, Archuleta allegedly told the couple that he was hired to represent Archuleta Trucking and investors who had been hurt by Alexander's company, and said a bomb had been planted in Alexander's office and would go off if he did not comply.

"He said that he was there to collect for the investors and that he wanted $100 million," Alexander said.

Archuleta and Alexander then negotiated over the amount, with Alexander telling him he did not have access to that much money. They settled on $30 million, he said, but Alexander told him he could not get the money until the morning.

At that point, Alexander said, his biggest concern was separating his wife from the situation. He repeatedly asked Archuleta to just take him and leave his wife alone. Two of his children would be home soon and should not be involved, he told him.

"He referred to my wife a couple of times as a loose end," Alexander said.

Although Alexander suggested tearing out the phone lines or tying up his wife in order to leave her at the home, Archuleta forced the couple into their car and ordered them to leave the home. However, once the couple and Archuleta exited the garage, the car was surrounded by police officers. Archuleta seemed shocked by their arrival, Alexander said.

"He started yelling, 'Drive, drive or I'll shoot,' " Alexander said.

Alexander again began to drive, but the covered bridge leading away from their home was swarming with police officers, who blocked the exit. His wife then jumped from the car and police were able to take Archuleta into custody, he said. After Alexander got back to his wife, he said, he learned his 15-year-old daughter had been in the home the entire time.

Lone Peak police officer Travis Atwood testified that police found a handgun next to Archuleta in the Alexanders' car. The .40-caliber handgun was loaded with a round in the chamber, he said.

"It was ready to fire," Atwood said.

Archuleta also had weapons in a backpack, including a wooden baton and a loaded crossbow with 14 extra arrows and 20 .40-caliber bullets. In his possession were also the names and addresses of the Savage family as well as 24 zip ties, duct tape and latex gloves.

An investigator testified that Archuleta admitted to targeting another Savage Services executive before the incident, but he called the home and heard children in the background. Alexander's home was chosen because Archuleta believed the couple would not have children at home because of their age, he said.

Defense attorney Taylor Hartley argued that Archuleta's charge of aggravated burglary should be thrown out because he did not enter the home with the intent to hurt anyone. Archuleta was at the home to collect a debt he believed he was owed, he said.

"He believed what he was doing was lawful," Hartley said.

Judge Claudia Laycock ruled that there was enough evidence for Archuleta to go to trial on all the charges, saying Archuleta never had legal standing to hold a gun to the couple and demand money. His charge of possession of a hoax weapon of mass destruction was amended before the hearing to making terroristic threats. Archuleta will be arraigned on the charges on Nov. 18.

Related

• Preliminary hearing set for Alpine hostage-taker
• Man demanded $100M from Alpine couple, court records show
• Alpine family held hostage in their own home