Blue Springs, Mo. ? A woman who police thought purposely swallowed her cell phone during an argument with her boyfriend last week was likely assaulted, Blue Springs police said.

The bizarre incident that sent a 24-year-old woman to the hospital is now being investigated as an assault, and police have a suspect, Sgt. Allen Kintz said.

“It appears she didn’t voluntarily swallow this phone,” Kintz said. “It’s not quite the way it was first portrayed.”

Early Friday morning police responded to a call from a Blue Springs man who said his girlfriend was having trouble breathing. Police arrived to find a woman with a cell phone lodged in her throat.

Police were initially told the boyfriend wanted the phone and the woman swallowed it so he couldn’t get it. Police have not made an arrest and would not say whether the boyfriend is suspected of assaulting the woman.