The incident began when the woman went to the man’s apartment by invitation shortly before midnight. The man apparently saw the woman’s ad on Craigslist and invited her over, deputies said.

The man and woman agreed on a price for sex and the man paid her, according to deputies.

Before the two had sex, the woman moved near the door for better cell phone reception. Deputies said the man thought she was trying to leave, and the two began to fight.

In the fight, the man bit a part of the woman’s right ear off.

The woman left the apartment and went to Northwest Hospital, where Shoreline police were called.

Following an investigation by Shoreline police, the man was arrested and part of the woman's ear was recovered.

The 54-year-old man was booked into the King County Jail for felony assault and the woman was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where doctors said they are unsure is they could reattach the ear.