If it came down to it, do you think you’d be able to get yourself out of a hostage situation? This Florida woman was able to do just that on May 5 with some quick thinking and incredible bravery. Her clever solution saved not only her own life but the lives of her children.
And she did it all with a little help from Pizza Hut.
When this ticket for an online order came into the local Pizza Hut, chef Alonia Hawk immediately spotted something unnerving in the comments section.
Hawk and store manager Candy Hamilton recognized the address as belonging to a regular customer. They immediately called the police when they read, “Please help. Get 911 to me.”
Police from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the house, where they found Cheryl Treadway and her two children being menaced by Ethan Nickerson. He was armed with a large knife.
He and Cheryl had been arguing throughout the day until Ethan ultimately cornered her and the children. She managed to convince him to give her back the phone so she could order some food.
Nickerson was arrested without incident after police officers and hostage negotiator Lt. Curtis Ludden got Treadway and the children out of harm’s way. Nickerson has been charged with aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and obstruction of justice, among other things. He may have been under the influence of meth at the time of the attack.
The police credit Treadway’s quick thinking with saving her and her children from would could’ve been a tragic end. Even Ludden himself said he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to come up with such a clever tactic if he were in her situation.
