Woman in New York rescued after calling for help via food delivery app

A New York woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted and held against her will used food delivery app Grubhub to issue a surreptitious call for help that eventually led to her rescue, according to media reports.

Citing local authorities, New York ABC affiliate WABC reported on Wednesday, Pacific time, that the 24-year-old woman had her phone taken by her 32-year-old alleged captor following the assault, and could only get it back by asking to order food on the app.

In her order for a burger and a breakfast sandwich, placed at around 5 am on Sunday with the nearby Chipper Truck Cafe, the woman included the hastily typed instructions "please call the police... please don't make it obvious". 

She also asked that officers show up with the delivery, according to a copy of the receipt shown to WABC.

In an interview, restaurant co-owner Alice Bermejo told the outlet: "They'd seen the note on the order and called my husband and said 'What should we do?' And he said, 'Call the police.'"

Officers went to the address in the Eastchester neighborhood of the Bronx and arrested a 32-year-old man who is now being charged with predatory sexual assault, rape, committing a criminal sexual act and sexual abuse, CNN reported, citing a police complaint.

The man has also been linked to a separate sexual assault four days earlier, and is now facing additional charges of strangulation, sexual abuse and attempted criminal sexual act, according to the outlet. (AFP)