A delivery driver in Texas is being hailed for helping foil a hostage situation on Monday, after a delivery to a motel triggered alarm bells.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m., when the driver pulled up to the Sweetwater Inn on Georgia Avenue, the Sweetwater Police Department said in a news release. On September 23, police revealed that an investigation into the incident revealed the delivery driver was not associated with DoorDash as they prevously reported.
The driver alerted police to the suspicious order, which allegedly contained items such as trash bags, zip ties, bleach, and a hatchet, according to local outlets KTAB and KRBC. Police have not yet confirmed the contents of the order.
Upon arrival at the motel, officers learned that a man, Neil Cooper, 42, had barricaded himself inside a room and claimed to be armed. Authorities were also informed that a possible hostage was inside the room with him.
As officers worked to establish communication with Cooper, the individual believed to be held hostage managed to safely escape the room, police said.
A crisis negotiator from the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived shortly after and was able to talk Cooper into surrendering peacefully.
Cooper was taken into custody without incident. He now faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, along with two active warrants for the manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.
The person initially reported as a hostage was also arrested. According to police, that person was charged with failure to identify and had one active warrant for the manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.
“The Sweetwater Police Department would like to thank the Texas Department of Public Safety for their assistance in bringing this situation to a safe resolution,” the department said in a Facebook post.
This story has been updated to clarify that further investigation revealed that the delivery driver did not work for DoorDash as prevously reported.
