DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man is behind bars after an online marketplace transaction turned violent, police say.

At around noon on Monday two victims met with 20-year-old Jonah Ruiy at a convivence store in the 1300 block of Keo Way to sell him a cellphone that they’d posted on an online marketplace, the Des Moines Police Department said.

When the group met, Ruiy asked to see the phone, but ran off before paying for it, police said. One of the victims, an adult male, chased after Ruiy while the other, an adult female, called 911.

According to a criminal complaint, Ruiy fell on the ground and the male victim caught up to Ruiy and attempted to grab the phone. Ruiy tried to get away, and while doing so punched the victim multiple times, the complaint states.

Officers arrived on scene and took Ruiy into custody. Ruiy was booked into the Polk County Jail where he remains on a $10,000 cash/surety bond. He has been charged with second-degree robbery.

The Des Moines Police Department would like to remind the public to use caution when conducting online marketplace transactions. The police department provided the following tips to stay safe:

• Don’t meet at night
• If the meeting location is isolated, secluded, or out of view in any way, don’t go
• Try not to go alone, bring a friend or family member with
• If the person you’re meeting shows up with a face covering, or appears to be trying to conceal their identity, leave
• If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t

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