The story comes from Victorville, California, via KTLA News:
Woman Held Hostage Rescued by Bill Collector
VICTORVILLE -- A woman held captive for three days by her ex-boyfriend was rescued by a chance visit from a bill collector seeking a car payment.
A saleswoman from a local car dealership said she noticed the victim hadn’t made her car payment and decided to stop by the woman’s home to pick it up, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark James.
She arrived at the home on the 16800 block of Winona Street and knocked on the door. When the victim opened the door, the saleswoman noticed scratches on her body, James said. The 30-year-old woman scribbled the word "help" and her ex’s name Miguel Rios.
When the debt collector asked if she was OK, the woman whispered Rios had a gun and was holding her hostage. The woman called police.
28-year-old Miguel Rios was arrested and booked for investigation of false imprisonment and making terrorist threats, among other allegations.
The woman, held since Sunday, had bite marks and bruises, including marks where Rios allegedly tried to strangle her.
Rios is a self-admitted gang member, according to sheriff’s authorities.
The unintended consequences of electronic banking?
As more and more bills get paid automatically, no one comes to check on you...an urban legend has it that an elderly woman died and her bills kept getting paid and no one knew about it for a full two years...probably fictious, but based upon enough truth to be plausible(what about the IRS?)