A letter carrier spotted the handwritten note a day after the alleged attack at the man’s Lantana home.
LANTANA, FL — An 81-year-old man who said he couldn’t reach a phone wrote “Call the Police” on a note and left it on his mailbox, prompting a letter carrier and supervisor to alert officers Monday, Dec. 29. Police later arrested his live-in caregiver, Denise Williams, 60, on multiple charges.
Authorities said the case unfolded over two days at the man’s home in this Palm Beach County town after a dispute in a bathroom escalated into violence. The man, a Navy veteran who asked not to be named, told officers his caregiver jumped on him as he lay in bed and tried to choke him. Investigators say she then took his phones and keys and left. Unable to call 911, the man wrote a note and hung it beside his front door. A letter carrier saw it the next day and reported it, setting off the response that led to Williams’ arrest and a pending court date this month.
According to an arrest report, the confrontation began Sunday, Dec. 28, when Williams became upset about the condition of a bathroom. The man said she climbed onto the bed, put both hands at his throat and grabbed at the hand holding his cell phone as he tried to dial for help. “She got on me… started grabbing my hand that had the cell phone,” he said in an interview, adding that he could not complete the call. Asked whether he believed she intended to kill him, he replied that he thought she was angry. Police said the man, who lives alone with the caregiver, reported soreness but declined transport at the time; they documented the account and began looking for Williams.
Investigators said that after the struggle, Williams took the man’s car keys and cell phone, disconnected two landlines and locked the phones in her bedroom. The man also told officers his credit card and checkbook were missing. With no way to reach emergency services, he wrote a short message — “Call the Police” — and hung it from the mailbox near his front door. On Monday, a letter carrier noticed the note, consulted a supervisor and contacted Lantana police, who went to the house to check on the resident. Officers later located Williams and took her into custody. The mail carrier, who identified himself only as David, declined to comment further.
The victim told reporters he pays Williams $2,000 a month to serve as a live-in caretaker and that she had been with him for about two and a half years. He said he is a widower and a retired security guard. He also said that, to his knowledge, no checks had been cashed and no purchases were made on his credit card after the incident, though police documented the missing items in their report. Officers said they recovered statements from the man and noted the unusual role of the postal visit in revealing the message on the mailbox. The department did not immediately release additional forensic details and did not publicly describe injuries beyond the man’s account.
Police booked Williams on robbery by sudden snatching, battery on an elderly person, exploitation of an elderly person and tampering with a victim. Authorities said she was receiving medical care at a local hospital following her arrest and would be moved to the Palm Beach County Jail once discharged. Court records list a first appearance and a court date for Thu., Jan. 29. Prosecutors have not yet filed a formal charging document detailing counts beyond the arrest report, and no defense attorney of record had responded to media inquiries as of the weekend. The sheriff’s office said bond and booking information would be updated after the hospital transfer.
Florida law enhances penalties for crimes against adults 65 and older, and local agencies often route such cases through units that handle elder exploitation and domestic incidents. Lantana police said the investigation remains active, including a review of the man’s financial accounts to determine whether any unauthorized transactions occurred. Detectives also documented the home’s phones and bedroom where the devices were allegedly locked away. The incident took place in a residential neighborhood south of West Palm Beach, where officers said welfare checks are common but a mailbox note is a rare trigger for a call.
Neighbors declined to speak on the record Sunday, though one resident described seeing police cruisers on the block after mail delivery that Monday. The man thanked the letter carrier and supervisor for acting quickly. “I’m very, very happy for that,” he said of the postal worker’s decision to report the note. He added that he feels conflicted about Williams’ situation: “I’m sorry for her… because she has no place to go right now, other than where she’s going after she gets out of the hospital,” he said. Police did not release information about Williams’ prior employment or certifications, and regulators had not announced any licensing review.
As of Sunday, Jan. 4, officials said Williams remained under hospital care pending transfer to jail, and the man was resting at home. Detectives planned additional interviews and evidence collection before the Jan. 29 court date. Further updates are expected once the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office books Williams and prosecutors announce any formal charges.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, January 4, 2026.