An Illinois woman is crediting the popular game Wordle for helping save her against a naked man who entered her home and held her against her will for over 20 hours.
Denyse Holt, 80, says the intruder broke into her home and held her hostage for nearly a day. After one of her daughters failed to get a text from her with her Wordle score for the day, she knew something was amiss.
Holt says she went to sleep as normal last Saturday but woke up at around 1:00 am when a naked, bleeding man holding scissors woke her up. He allegedly threatened to cut her if she screamed then got into the bed with her.
Holt says she did not want to take any chances and obeyed him in fear of being hurt if she did not comply.
The man made her take a shower with him and then a bath before she was locked in the basement still in her wet nightgown, Holt says.
Holt says she lost track of how long she was in the basement but it was around 20 hours. The man did not bring her any food or the medicine she took to help with pain.
Meanwhile, Holt's daughters became worried when one said she wasn't getting replies to her text messages, and the other, who didn't receive her mom's daily Wordle score.
The two sisters communicated their concerns to each other, then called the Lincolnwood police to request a wellness check on their mother.
The police rescued Holt from the man, who they say they found upstairs armed with multiple knives. A local SWAT team apprehended the man after shooting him with a stun gun.
Police say the man suffered a "mental health crisis" and removed his clothing and broke into the house.
They say the suspect, James Davis, has been charged with home invasion with a dangerous weapon, aggravated kidnapping while armed with a dangerous weapon and two counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer.
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