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Restaurant Gets Reward For Helping Rescue Hostage Customer

Photo Credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Public-User: Eyewitness News ABC7NY

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A New York restaurant is being rewarded for helping to rescue a customer that was allegedly held hostage, ABC 7 NY reported Wednesday.

The Chipper Truck Cafe, which is located in Yonkers, will receive $5,000 from the food delivery service GrubHub after they followed up on instructions to call 911 that were included with a GrubHub order, ABC 7 NY reported. The restaurant received the instructions early Sunday, according to the outlet.

A 24-year-old who was allegedly being held hostage in an apartment in the Bronx sent the instructions, ABC 7 NY reported. “Please call the police his [sic] going to call me when u delivered come with the cones [sic] please don’t make it obvious,” the woman wrote in the instructions, according the outlet. The woman’s identity was not revealed.

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Following the woman’s instructions, the restaurant called the police, who responded to the incident and arrested Kemoy Royal, ABC 7 NY reported. Police have reportedly charged Royal with rape and unlawful imprisonment, among other counts. In addition, he has also been charged in connection to an unrelated alleged sexual assault that occurred a few days before the police rescued the 24-year-old hostage. (RELATED: Truck Driver Rescues Sex Trafficking Victim After Noticing Alarming Signs During Highway Encounter)

Alice Bermejo, owner of the Chipper Truck Cafe, reacted to the incident and spoke with ABC 7 NY. She described the incident as “shocking.”

“It’s shocking to us, and we’re so grateful that he’s caught and that the girl is okay,” Bermejo told the outlet.

Bermejo also shared that she received a call from a detective informing her that the suspect had been arrested, according to News 12 Westchester.

“A detective had called and said there had been an arrest made and that the girl was safe, and we were like, we’re so happy…so happy,” Bermejo explained to the outlet. The 24-year-old was allegedly held at knifepoint in a residence on Pratt Avenue, the outlet also indicated.

Bermejo said her workers saw the note and then questioned how they should handle the situation, according to CBS New York. They wound up calling Bermejo’s husband for advice, who urged them not to take any chances and call the police, the outlet said.