Man beaten, robbed after responding to online ad, Iowa City police say

IOWA CITY - Police are investigating an Iowa City man's report that he was beaten and robbed by two men Saturday night after he responded to an online ad.

Officers were called to the 1100 block of Third Avenue in Iowa City at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday and encountered a man who said he had arranged through a website to meet a woman in the area. The man told police that after he arrived, he was approached by two men, one carrying a knife and the other carrying a board. The man told police he was dragged inside a home, where he was struck with the board three times before he was robbed of cash and a cellphone.

The man suffered minor injuries, police said. He described the man with the knife as wearing a mask, and the man with the board as a wearing a baseball cap.

Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. Anyone with information is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at (319) 358-8477. All calls are held in strict confidence and anonymity is guaranteed. Individuals providing information do not have to reveal their identity to collect a reward.