The sketch of the man authorities are looking for after a woman trying to hail a cab in the Seaport District was picked up and then raped in Newton.
Credit: Middlesex district attorney’s office.
Authorities are seeking the public’s help identifying a man who picked up a woman trying to hail a cab in the Seaport District and then raped her in Newton.
The Middlesex district attorney’s office released a sketch of the man on Sunday.
At 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, the woman was trying to hail a cab in the Seaport District when a black Lincoln livery sedan picked her up.
“The vehicle had an app running on a tablet or smartphone that was mounted to the dashboard and displayed a map and fare tally,” authorities said.
Instead of going to the woman’s intended address, the driver took her to a secluded area in front of a skating rink in Newton where he raped and assaulted her.
Authorities described the suspect as an Hispanic, Indian or Middle Eastern man in his late 20s or early 30s. He is about six feet tall, weighs about 240 pounds, has a muscular build and has buzz cut black hair. He was wearing a collared shirt and jeans and a dark-colored do-rag or hat.
The incident has been the subject of controversy after the Herald reported last week that State Police did not publicize the information. State police told the Herald that “in retrospect” it should have proactively released some information.
The Middlesex district attorney’s office said on Sunday that the incident was first reported to Cambridge police. After that, Cambridge, Boston and Newton police determined that the assault took place on state property and it was referred to state police.
“The priority of investigators has been to find the suspect by following all leads,” said a statement from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office. “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.”
Anyone with information can call 617-740-7875.
Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.
