A 22-year-old St. Paul woman was brutally raped by a man she met on the online dating app Tinder shortly after he picked her up for their first date, authorities say.

Ahmed Mohamoud Haji Ali Ismail, 23, was charged via warrant Thursday with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the criminal complaint filed against him in Ramsey County District Court.

Police were notified when the woman showed up at Regions Hospital for a sexual assault examination early last June 11.

She told police she met Ismail on Tinder and that the two had been talking via Facetime for about a week before deciding to meet in person the prior evening, the complaint said.

The Minneapolis man reportedly picked her up at her apartment building about 9:30 p.m. for dinner that night.

Everything initially seemed normal as the two drove in Ismail’s car, she told officers.

But about 10 minutes later, Ismail suddenly pulled over in a St. Paul residential neighborhood “nowhere near the restaurant” and pulled her head toward his face for a kiss, she said, according to the complaint.

The woman told police she pulled away, but Ismail ignored her and started to grope her, legal documents say.

Despite her continued pleas for him to stop, he eventually “ripped” open her jeans, crawled on top of her and began choking her, she told officers, according to the complaint.

Terrified, she said she eventually stopped fighting and Ismail raped her, legal documents say.

When he finished, he reportedly told the woman to get out of his car.

The woman said she got dressed in the street before running back to her apartment and calling her roommate, who drove her to Regions Hospital.

She told police her attacker’s first name and showed him a picture of him she had on her phone from his Instagram account, according to the complaint. At that point, Ismail had already blocked her from contacting him again via Tinder.

Officers used the phone number provided by the woman to connect with Ismail. He reportedly denied what happened, telling the investigator that while he talked with the woman once on Tinder, he said the two never met in person, according to the complaint.

“That is crazy (expletive),” he said of the investigator’s synopsis of the woman’s allegations. “I have no idea how this came about.” Related Articles Two men face felony charges in Bloomington home invasion

Police: Teen has life-threatening injuries after being shot in face in St. Paul

Investigators call on driver in fatal Maplewood hit-and-run to come forward

Former St. Thomas student pleads guilty to hoax bomb threat

Minneapolis teen charged in shooting death of campaign worker

He subsequently got a lawyer, who provided officers with a DNA sample from Ismail after they obtained a search warrant.

The sample matched the DNA profile taken from the woman during her sexual assault exam, the complaint said.

Ismail’s lawyer’s name was not listed in court records and he could not be reached for comment.

St. Paul police offered tips about how to be best protect yourself when meeting people from online dating apps.

“People should know this does happen and they should take steps to protect themselves,” Sgt. Mike Ernster, St. Paul police spokesman, said of assaults stemming from online dating apps.

“Think about safety when planning the first date,” he continued. “We would suggest that if you are meeting someone for the first time, to do it in a very public place where other people will be around. Arrive separately, so you aren’t relying on this person for transportation. Also, let a family member or friend know about the date and location. Any resistance to any of these suggestions should be a red flag.”