Tacoma man accused of sexually assaulting woman whose van broke down

The woman’s van broke down in a Tacoma parking lot Thursday and she went looking for help.

Pierce County prosecutors allege Nathan Lewis, 51, approached her and told her that if she followed him home, he’d give her gas money and water for the overheated vehicle.

The woman walked with him to Bryn-Mar Village apartments on South 82nd Street, where he allegedly asked her inside to smoke crack cocaine.

“She declined and he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her inside the apartment,” according to court documents.

Lewis then sexually assaulted her, according to the documents

The woman screamed so loud that 15 to 20 residents in the building came outside to see what was happening.

The woman’s friend, who was waiting in the parking lot where the van broke down, heard her cries and used a fire extinguisher to break into the apartment.

A neighbor described Lewis as a “problem resident,” according to charging papers.

Lewis on Friday pleaded not guilty to indecent liberties and was ordered jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail.

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Tacoma man accused of sexually assaulting woman whose van broke down."