Woman, 80, rescued from hostage situation after not returning Wordle text

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Friday, February 11, 2022
Wordle habit saves Lincolnwood woman from hostage situation
Lincolnwood police said an elderly woman was rescued from being held hostage during a home invasion thanks to her daily Wordle habit.

LINCOLNWOOD, Illinois -- Police in a city north of Chicago said the online word game Wordle played a role in saving an 80-year-old woman from a hostage situation.

According to police, they were called to do a well-being check by the 80-year-old woman's daughter on Sunday when her mother failed to text her daily Wordle score.

When officers arrived at the home they found a broken window on the first floor and visible blood. When they entered the home they found the victim in the basement being held hostage. She was not hurt, investigators said.

They found the suspect on the second floor of the home armed with several knives and, after attempting to arrest him, called for more forces to help take him into custody, the release said. The suspect was taken into custody early Monday morning and transferred to a local hospital for medical treatment.

The suspect was naked, and police believe he likely took his clothes off earlier during a mental health crisis.

The suspect was 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.

Police do not believe the man and the victim knew each other or had any connection.

They believe it was a random crime.

CNN Wire contributed to this report