Woman assaulted in Newton hotel parking garage

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

A 49-year-old woman was assaulted by a man with a gun in the parking garage of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newton early Thursday morning, police said.

“We’re one of the safest cities in America,” Newton Police Lieutenant Bruce Apotheker said. “This type of incident shows that this kind of thing can happen anywhere.”

The woman parked her car on the second level of the garage at 12:30 a.m., Newton police said in a statement. The hotel is in Newton Corner, at 320 Washington St.

As she was getting out of her car, the woman was approached by a man who threatened to kill her if she didn’t let him perform a sexual act on her, police said.

The man spoke in a Russian or Romanian accent and pulled a black handgun out of his coat pocket, police said.

The suspect backed away when the woman put her hand in her purse, police said.

She got back into her vehicle, locked the doors, and saw the suspect walk down the stairwell of the garage. The woman drove to the lobby of the hotel and reported the incident, police said.

Police arrived at the scene but were unable to locate the suspect.

The woman described him as a white male, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 to 170 pounds, clean shaven, with brown eyes, wearing a black knit wool cap with a bill and black clothing, police said.

Apotheker said the incident remains under investigation.

“Be aware of your surroundings and always use caution,” he said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Newton police at 617-796-2100 or 617-796-2121.