Crime & Safety

Sketch Released as Cops Search for Suspect in Sexual Assault

Authorities are seeking the public's assistance in identifying a suspect in a reported sexual assault on a young woman that allegedly occurred Aug. 6 in Newton.

Police are looking for the public’s help as they continue their search for a muscular cabbie who allegedly raped and assaulted a young woman in front of a skating rink off Nonantum Road earlier this month.

According to a press release from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the alleged sexual assault occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, after the victim hailed a taxi in the Seaport District of South Boston around 1:30 a.m. and the driver of a black Lincoln livery sedan picked her up and drove into a secluded area in the Newton neighborhood.

According to the press release, issued on Aug. 18, the driver/suspect is described as a Hispanic or Indian/Middle Eastern man in his late 20s or early 30s, about 6-feet tall and weighing about 230 to 240 pounds, with a muscular build, buzz cut and neatly cropped facial hair. 

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More from the press release:

The incident was first reported to the Cambridge Police Department. Once it was determined by Cambridge, Boston and Newton police that the assault took place on state property, it was reported to state police. The Massachusetts State Police H Troop detectives along with detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office launched an immediate investigation. The priority of investigators has been to find the suspect by following all leads. It was determined that to protect the integrity of the investigation, it was in the best interest of the investigation not to release details of the assault as police were seeking to conduct interviews and gather evidence.

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Authorities have caught some flack in recent days over the perception that protocols had effectively kept an alleged rape case under raps at the expense of public safety – and the investigation.

However, as Boston Magazine reported Friday, the Massachusetts State Police—who are lead investigators on the case—have plans to adapt press procedures so as to avoid similar delays in the future. Read more about that here.

Meanwhile, the Herald, running with a “Seaport turf war” angle, has quoted Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino as saying he’s “angry” over alleged jurisdictional issues along the city’s waterfront that—again, allegedly—led to a failure to alert the public to the alleged sexual assault for more than a week. Read more about that here.

And, as always, be sure to stay tuned to Newton Patch for more on this story as it develops. 


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