Windsor police are reminding people to make use of the Safe Internet Exchange Zone following an attempted sale that went wrong.
The incident reportedly happened before 9 a.m. on Saturday.
At the time, Windsor police were called to a Wellesley Avenue address for reports of a fight. When officers arrived, they were told that it started when the victim met with a man she'd arranged to sell a phone to.
During the meeting, the suspect reportedly assaulted the victim, grabbed the phone, and attempted to take off. According to police, he also dragged her across a lawn, choked her, and threatened to shoot her when she tried to stop him.
Police also learned that, in an effort to help, the victim's neighbour pursued the suspect and tried to restrain him. To get away, the suspect allegedly hit him in the face multiple times. When a third person tried to help, the suspect reportedly threatened to shoot both individuals before fleeing the area.
The man was wearing a mask the entire time, police said.
Investigators were able to identify the suspect and arrested him on October 20.
A 21-year-old man faces half a dozen charges, including robbery, assault by choking, and uttering threats.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Windsor police or Crime Stoppers.
When attempting to sell or purchase an item to someone you haven't met before, police encourage people to use the Safe Internet Exchange Zone, located at 2696 Jefferson Blvd. The area offers two designated spots for online purchase transactions and is monitored 24/7 by live video and audio surveillance.
