A Cambridge man already arrested once for skipping sex offender registration now faces rape-related charges after police say he attacked two women inside a Planet Fitness locker room, with one gymgoer hospitalized.
Laquan Holland, 40, was arrested at the scene after Cambridge police responded to accusations that he entered the women’s locker room at the Planet Fitness on Massachusetts Avenue around 9 a.m. Thursday and sexually assaulted two women.
Prosecutors later charged him with two counts of assault to rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, one count of kidnapping, and one count of witness intimidation. He was arraigned October 2 in Cambridge District Court, where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf, and ordered held pending a hearing set for October 16.
The Daily Mail reported that Holland’s record already included an August 25 arrest for failure to register as a sex offender, according to a Cambridge Police Department daily log.
Police and prosecutors said both women spoke with officers at the gym. The first woman told them Holland struck her repeatedly, touched her without consent, partially removed her clothing, and restrained her inside a room at the facility.
The second woman said she heard calls for help, saw both parties partially nude, and tried to intervene. She told police Holland then touched her inappropriately without consent and tried to make her touch his body.
First responders arrived and immediately sent one gym attendee to a hospital for evaluation. Officers arrested Holland at the scene.
Cambridge Police Department officials confirmed the entry into the women’s locker room at about 9 a.m. and the full slate of charges. Spokeswoman Jennie Lopez said Holland was arraigned in Cambridge District Court on October 2.
The gym sits on the bottom floor of Lesley University Hall on Massachusetts Avenue, a building that also houses other private businesses open to the public. Lesley University said the incident was a private business matter and did not involve any of its students or staff.
A university spokesperson stated:
"As an urban campus, Lesley University and our on campus public safety teamwork with Cambridge Police Department in supporting a safe environment for our students, staff and community in and around our building,"
Planet Fitness canceled Holland’s membership and said it is cooperating with investigators.
The franchise group said:
"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,"
Dr. Yena Do, a Planet Fitness customer, told CBS News the news left her looking over her shoulder.
"I've always felt safe. Now that I've heard that this has happened, I'll definitely have to look behind my back,"
She added:
"Which is not a great feeling. I'm going there to work out, undressing out of my scrubs and get into my workout clothes. I'm definitely going to think about that,"
Sophia Holloway, a Lesley University student, called the episode a tragedy for women who simply want to feel secure in public spaces.
"It's horrible. I feel like it's a big tragedy. Everyone should be able to feel safe and secure wherever they are,"
She continued:
"Women out here face such hardships, and I think that the world needs to know that it's not OK,"
Holland’s August 25 arrest for failure to register as a sex offender sits on the Cambridge Police Department daily log. The disposition of that earlier case is not detailed in the available reporting. What is clear is the sequence: a man already in the system for registration failure is now accused of a violent sexual attack on two women in a locked-down women’s space at a national gym chain.
He remains held pending the October 16 hearing. Whether he has retained counsel is unclear.
Women who pay for a membership expect a basic guarantee: the locker room stays a place they can change clothes without being hunted. When a previously flagged sex offender is accused of walking into that space, striking a woman, restraining her, and then turning on a second woman who tried to help, the public is entitled to ask how the system lost track of him between August and the Thursday morning attack.
Law-and-order basics still matter. Registration rules exist so police and the public know who is in their community. Locker rooms exist so women can train without fear. When both fail in the same case, the victims live with the consequences first.
