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On Sunday morning, a woman being held hostage in her New York home called the authorities through the use of the food delivery app Grubhub.
According to Law and Crime, Kemoy Royal and the 24-year-old woman had been in contact online for months, but upon meeting her in person for the first time, he allegedly held her hostage in her own home, where he assaulted and abused her.
The 24-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, managed to convince the assailant to let her make a food order.
In the 'Additional Instructions' section, the woman asked the restaurant to help her by calling the police on her behalf. The note said:
"Please call the police."
The woman also begged for discretion, adding:
"Please don't make it obvious."
The owner of the restaurant, Alice Bermejo, told the media that after a discussion with her husband and business partner, she promptly called the authorities.
Police soon arrived at the home in the Eastchester neighborhood of the Bronx. According to arrest documents, Royal opened the door assuming that the food delivery had arrived. Royale was promptly detained by authorities.
How did Grubhub end up saving the woman?
In interviews with media outlets, Alice Bermejo explained how she ended up informing the authorities of a woman being held hostage.
Bermejo said that she and her husband were informed of the note by a member of staff at her restaurant, who had come across the 24-year-old's plea for help.
She said:
“They’d seen the note on the order, and they called my husband and said, ‘What should we do?’ And he was like, ‘Call the police. Can’t take any risks. Better be safe than sorry.'”
According to ABC, a spokesperson from Grubhub congratulated the restaurant for how they handled the situation. Alice Bermejo told media outlets that Grubhub had called them up personally.
Bermejo said:
"They called to thank us and just to be like, ‘Thank you so much for helping my friend.' And just, you know, making sure that she was fine. We really had no idea of the gravity of the situation until after everything had happened."
In an official statement, Grubhub spokesperson Lisa Belot told Law and Crime how much they appreciated Bermejo's actions. The statement read:
"Every time we see a simple but extraordinary act like this, we are amazed by how our partners positively impact their communities."
Belot added:
"Our COO Eric Ferguson reached out to the restaurant owner yesterday to offer $5,000 that she can invest in her business as our way of recognizing her and her team for their quick thinking."
Kemoy Royale is currently under police custody. He has been charged with strangulation, assault, kidnapping, and various abuse-related crimes.
