Iowa hotel settles with woman who was raped inside her room

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa hotel has settled a lawsuit with a New Jersey woman who was raped and battered after the front desk gave the attacker her room key.

Attorneys for Cheri Marchionda say the operators of the Embassy Suites Hotel in Des Moines agreed to a settlement before she was set to testify Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

Christopher LaPointe, of New York, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for the 2014 attack. Marchionda awoke to find him in her room, which he was able to access without proving he was registered there.

The Associated Press typically does not name victims of sexual assault, but Marchionda's attorney, Peter Villari, said she is revealing her name in hopes of serving as an advocate for hotel safety and sexual assault victims.