Woman saves herself from hostage situation by ordering pizza

A Florida woman who was being held at knifepoint by her boyfriend has Pizza Hut to thank for her safety.

Cheryl Treadway's boyfriend Ethan Nickerson took her phone away and was holding her hostage, but Treadway somehow convinced him to let her order a pizza mid-confrontation. Treadway opened up the Pizza Hut app, and in the "special instructions" section where most people would request extra cheese or napkins, she wrote "911hostage help!" and "Please help! Get 911 to me."

When the restaurant received the order, a cook told the manager about the instructions. The Pizza Hut employees called 911, and the the Highland County Sheriff's Office sent a team of deputies to remove Treadway and her children from the house.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Florida's WFLA reports that Nickerson "may have been high on meth" during the situation. He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon without intent to kill, battery, false imprisonment, and obstructing justice by depriving communication to law enforcement.