A 40-year-old Cambridge man has been arrested after police accused him of sexually assaulting two women inside the women’s locker room at a Planet Fitness gym on Thursday morning.
Cambridge police said Laquan Holland entered the women’s locker room at the Planet Fitness on Massachusetts Avenue at approximately 9 a.m.
Holland faces two counts of assault with intent to rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and one count each of kidnapping and witness intimidation, authorities said.
Holland was arraigned in Cambridge District Court on October 2, Cambridge Police Department spokeswoman Jennie Lopez told Our News Outlet.
A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He was ordered held until a hearing scheduled for October 16, according to NBC Boston.
When first responders arrived at the locker room, one gym member was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Holland was later arrested at the scene.
Prosecutors said in court that police spoke with both women involved in the incident.
The first woman told investigators that Holland repeatedly struck her and touched her inappropriately without her consent. She also alleged that he partially removed her clothing and restrained her inside a room at the gym, according to the outlet.
Laquan Holland, 40, was arrested by Cambridge police after being accused of sexually assaulting two women inside a Planet Fitness locker room on Thursday morning
The Planet Fitness gym was located on the ground floor of Lesley University Hall, a building that also houses private businesses open and accessible to the public
The second woman allegedly heard the first victim calling for help and saw the two people partially unclothed before trying to intervene. She told police that Holland then touched her without consent and attempted to make her touch his body.
A Planet Fitness customer who learned about the alleged assault said the incident has made her more cautious about using the gym’s locker room.
“I’ve always felt safe. Now that I’ve heard that this has happened, I’ll definitely have to look behind my back,” Dr. Yena Do, a Planet Fitness customer, told CBS News.
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“Which is not a great feeling. I’m going there to work out, undressing out of my scrubs and getting into my workout clothes. I’m definitely going to think about that,” she said.
The Planet Fitness gym occupied the bottom floor of Lesley University Hall, which also contains other private businesses that are readily accessible to the public.
“It’s horrible. I feel like it’s a big tragedy. Everyone should be able to feel safe and secure wherever they are,” Sophia Holloway, a Lesley University student, told the outlet.
“Women out here face such hardships, and I think that the world needs to know that it’s not OK,” she said.
Lesley University said the Planet Fitness incident involved a private business and did not involve any of the university’s students or staff members.
Holland was arraigned in Cambridge District Court on October 2, Cambridge Police Department spokeswoman Jennie Lopez told Our News Outlet
“As an urban campus, Lesley University and our on-campus public safety team work with the Cambridge Police Department to support a safe environment for our students, staff and community in and around our building,” a Lesley University spokesperson said in a statement.
Since the incident, Planet Fitness has stated that Holland’s gym membership was canceled.
‘Planet Fitness is committed to providing a safe environment for all. The franchise group has canceled the membership of the individual involved and is working with local law enforcement to support their investigation into this matter,’ said a Planet Fitness statement.
According to a Cambridge Police Department daily log report viewed by Our News Outlet, Holland was previously arrested on August 25 for failure to register as a sex offender.
It is unclear at this time if Holland has retained an attorney.
Our News Outlet has reached out to a Planet Fitness spokesperson and Lesley University for comment.
