A New Jersey woman is suing Embassy Suites for allowing a man who sexually assaulted her to enter her Iowa hotel room in April 2014.
DES MOINES, IOWA -- A New Jersey woman has filed a negligence lawsuit against Embassy Suites and its parent company Hilton International for allowing a man who sexually assaulted her into her room in an Iowa hotel, according to a Des Moines Register report.
Cheri Marchionda, of Sewell, was staying in the Embassy Suites location in the East Village section of Des Moines during a business trip on April 11, 2014. She reported that she awoke shortly after midnight that night to find Christopher Edward LaPointe standing at the end of the bed and touching her leg.
LaPointe, a 31-year-old New York resident -- was also a guest at the hotel, the report states. He is now serving a 20-year sentence for burglary and sexual abuse charges stemming from the incident.
While the case was originally filed in New Jersey, it was moved to Iowa this week.
Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
