A woman was rescued in Florida after calling 911 and pretending to make a pizza order during an attempted sexual assault.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported that the call was made at around 4:30 a.m. on October 19. “I would like to order a pizza,” the woman began. “I’m so stuck in here.”
“Okay. Are you aware you’re calling 911?” the dispatcher responded, to which the woman said, “Yes, I’m sure I’m calling to that number.”
Though the woman was unaware of her location, the police were able to track her phone to a field in the rural part of Pierson, according to Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
A Florida woman’s “pizza order” call to 911 saved her as a man attempted to sexually assault her
Image credits: Muffin Creatives/Pexels
The woman confirmed she was being held by a man who was unarmed.
“Deputies got out on foot and began to search those ferneries. Eventually, they heard loud music coming from a field. When they approached the sound, they discovered a male on top of a screaming female,” Chitwood said, as per ABC News.
A video of the rescue shows the woman pleading for help when the officer arrives, screaming, “He’s trying to rape me. Can you help me?”
When the man was detained, the victim began crying, repeatedly saying, “‘Thank you, Lord!'” as an officer tried to calm her down.
The woman told police she knew the aggressor and had agreed to meet him for drinks, but that was “all it was supposed to be.”
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida quickly understood the code word and located the woman in time to save her
The man has since been identified as Luis Diego Hernandez-Moncayo, a 27-year-old Mexican native who had entered the country illegally, according to the sheriff’s department. He had reportedly applied for asylum the day before the incident.
Hernandez-Moncayo was arrested on charges of attempted sexual battery, battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment. He is being held without bond.
“He’s now sitting in jail, charged with attempted sexual battery, battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment, with an immigration detainer from the U.S. Border Patrol,” Chitwood stated on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“During this outing, he did a line of cocaine, and she said he did a 180, and he became extremely violent and wouldn’t let her go and tried to rape her.
“When you watch the video … if you’re a father, if you’re a grandfather, if you’re a brother, and you hear those screams coming from our victim, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.”
“He did a line of cocaine, and she said he did a 180, and he became extremely violent and wouldn’t let her go and tried to rape her,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood
Watch a video of the rescue below
This weekend, the @VolusiaSheriff 911 center got a call from a woman ordering a pizza close to 4 a.m.
What the dispatcher quickly figured out was that the caller was really in danger. pic.twitter.com/7wbPvc3EAu
— Mike Chitwood (@SheriffChitwood) October 25, 2024
The video of the rescue quickly went viral on social media, with hundreds of users congratulating the 911 dispatcher and officers for their swift response and for understanding the woman’s encoded cry for help.
“Kudos to that dispatcher for figuring out what was really going on and to those officers responding to the call,” someone said.
“Some good police work there! The fact they paid attention to the call that closely says this is so,” another commenter wrote.
“Great catch by the dispatcher. Figuring out the woman was in danger! Awesome job!!” a third user exclaimed.
“What’s even more frightening is how calm the suspect is. He’s just calm, like it’s just another day. I pray he’s not released,” a fourth added.
“This is so horrifying. It’s remarkable she was able to remain calm and make that call as she did. Thank you operators & sheriff deputies,” wrote a separate netizen.
The man, Luis Diego Hernandez-Moncayo, was arrested on charges of attempted sexual battery, battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment
Under Florida law, penalties for a first-degree sexual assault can include up to 30 years in state prison, significant fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender, according to Rossen Law Firm.
Meanwhile, second-degree sexual assault, which involves a lesser degree of force or coercion, can lead to up to 15 years in prison, fines, and sex offender registration.
According to data from the United Nations, an estimated 736 million women worldwide—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lives. Most violence against women is perpetrated by current or former husbands or intimate partners.
The woman told the police she was being held by an unarmed man
Many women fear their risk may increase if they ask for help, so certain code words have been introduced to ensure safety and discretion. In 2016, hospitality venues in the U.K. launched the Ask for Angela initiative. To signal that they are unsafe, women can “ask for Angela,” a play on the idea of a guardian angel, when speaking to a staff member.
The campaign was introduced in London venues by the Metropolitan Police. Similarly, other bars post different codes—such as asking for an “Angel Shot”—in the women’s restrooms so that men won’t realize they’re asking for help.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
People congratulated the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office for their swift response
