A simple word game and one very astute daughter might have just saved an 80-year-old woman's life.
As reported by CNN, 80-year-old woman Denyse Holt was alone in her Lincolnwood, Illinois home when a naked man broke in, dragged her through the home, and disconnected phone lines before barricading her in a bathroom. The man then forced Holt to remain in the room for 17 hours while he wandered throughout the home.
"I didn't think I was going to live," Holt told CNN affiliate WBBM.
Thankfully, Holt's daughter grew concerned about her mother's well-being when she noticed Holt was not reading her texts and had yet to send her usual Wordle update. Holt's daughter then reached out to the Lincolnwood Police Station to request a wellness check. Upon reaching Holt's home, the responding officers noticed a broken window.
The police officers ultimately discovered Holt in her basement bathroom, trapped but physically unharmed. They then found the suspect on the second floor of the home, armed with several knives. After taking the man into custody, the police reportedly transferred the man to a local hospital for medical treatment. According to the officers, it appeared as if the suspect was having a mental health crisis, as he had apparently requested help from Holt before locking her in the bathroom.
"The subject then awoke the victim armed with scissors and demanded the victim provide him assistance. The subject threatened the victim and collected all telephones/cell phones within the residence to disable the ability for the victim to communicate with anyone," the news release said. "The subject also placed the victim in the basement bathroom securing the door with a chair."
The man has since been charged with multiple felonies, including "home invasion with a dangerous weapon, aggravated kidnapping while armed with a dangerous weapon, and aggravated assault against a peace officer." As of now, investigators believe the suspect had no previous relation to Holt and the invasion was random.