Madison police made three arrests in response to allegations of theft that resulted in a violent struggle on Lake Street earlier this week.

Arielle Green, 25, Darin Graham, 27, and Briana McKnight, 21, were arrested in a high-risk traffic stop after the suspects allegedly assaulted three victims in the downtown area.

According to a Madison Police Department report, a 23-year-old man left his phone at a downtown bar and was unable to find it upon his return. In an attempt of trickery to retrieve the phone, his friend reportedly texted that she owed money to the phone’s owner, and the person in possession of the phone agreed to meet up at the intersection of North Lake Street and State Street to settle up.

MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain noted the ruse was a unique strategy to find the stolen phone.

“We have cell phones, purses and other items taken from people in bars, so that’s not unusual,” DeSpain said. “For a friend of a victim to pull off a ruse in order to try to get the phone back is a little unusual.”

Upon arrival, the victim and his two friends tried to detain the suspect who had the stolen phone, but two associates waiting in a nearby car came to her aid, according to the report.

DeSpain said the three suspects attacked the victim and his friends, repeatedly punching and even biting one of them.

The suspects then drove away. The victim noticed during this time that his wallet was also gone. The three victims were able to provide police with a license plate number and description of the car, and the suspects were arrested in a traffic stop minutes after the attack, the report said.