One day, Pizza Hut employee Candy received a strange order from a woman called Cheryl. "It must've been a mistake or something, "she thought to herself, preparing to delete the order from the system.
But then, Candy's coworker pointed out a hidden message in Cheryl's order that sent shivers down her spine...
The Beginning
What started as an ordinary day for this mother of three quickly turned into a nightmare.
Cheryl was baking a cake for her friend's birthday when her husband Adam burst in. His clothes were dirty, and he reeked of alcohol.
He Threatened Her
He started screaming at Cheryl and calling her all kinds of names. Then, suddenly he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and shouted: "I'll kill you!"
She reached for her cellphone, but Adam snatched it out of her hand. "You are not going anywhere," he told her. Without her phone, Cheryl couldn't call the police. So, she did the one thing she knew would work.
She Was Scared
Cheryl told Adam she had to pick up their sons from school. He wouldn't let her go alone, so they went together. Cheryl's plan to escape had failed, and the situation got even worse when they returned home.
Every time Adam had a few drinks, he would lose control and lash out at her and their children. But he had never threatened them with a knife before.
She Wanted To Order Pizza
When they returned home, Cheryl came up with another idea. "The kids are hungry," she told Adam.
"Let's order a pizza. Let's get them some food." He agreed and let Cheryl use her phone.
She Ordered Pizza
Cheryl now had access to her phone, but she couldn't call the police in front of her husband.
Fortunately for her, the Pizza Hut app has a comment section where you can include instructions for the driver. So, she did what she had to do...
A New Order
Candy was filling the fridge at the restaurant when she saw a new order pop up on the screen.
She took a look at the order and nearly jumped when she saw what was written in the comment section.
She Asked Them For Help
The order was from Cheryl, and she needed their help. The restaurant staff all gathered around the screen, trying to understand what was going on.
They were confused. What should they do? Was this some kind of a prank?
"Please Help"
Cheryl had ordered a large pepperoni pizza and included a note in the comment section that read, "Please help. Get 911 to me. 911 hostage help!"
The employees at Pizza Hut were at a loss for words.
She Called For Help
Candy ran across the restaurant and grabbed her cellphone.
She had to act quickly. But was it too late?
Waiting For The Pizza
Meanwhile, Cheryl was sitting by the window and waiting for the pizza to arrive.
She had no idea if the restaurant staff understood her message. Cheryl felt a knot in her stomach. What if they didn't call 911?
They Recognized Her
Fortunately, the Pizza Hut staff recognized Cheryl's name and address because she frequently ordered from that location.
They knew she wasn't joking when she wrote that comment.
Impatient
In the meantime, Cheryl's husband was getting more and more impatient. "Where is the pizza?" he yelled.
"Why is it taking them so long?" Just as Cheryl got up to check on her children, she saw a police car outside their house.
At The Scene
Lt. Curtis Ludden was the first one who entered the house.
"She comes running toward us, but two kids are still in the house with a person who's on narcotics, and you don't know how their mindset—with a knife—and we need to get them out of the house," he recalls. The officers convinced Nickerson to leave the house, and no one got hurt.
Impressed
The officers were impressed with Cheryl's quick thinking and bravery.
"Her quick thinking in sending the 911 alert in the order was key in helping resolve the domestic incident and kept it from escalating," said Police Chief Deputy Mark Schrader.