Woman confronts accused 'Peeping Tom' outside Houston area gym
HOUSTON - A woman believes she caught a man trying to record her while she was getting dressed inside a Houston area gym locker room.
"I’m pretty scared right now," said Laura Cubias. "I’m afraid to be out alone in public."
According to Cubias, the incident took place late Wednesday morning at Planet Fitness off Shadow Creek Parkway, near the Beltway.
"It’s really scary to know that while I was taking a shower, another man was sitting in a stall right next to my shower," said Cubias.
Cubias says she heard someone nearby, as she showered inside the women’s locker room. Then, as she got dressed, someone held up a lighter inside her stall. Moments later, Cubias says a cellphone slid underneath and was pointed at her.
"He slides over his phone, it was facing upwards," said Cubias. "I froze for a second. I was in shock. I heard a man’s voice coming from the stall saying he’s sorry."
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Cubias took photos of the man as he quickly left the locker room. After she warned others, another woman confronted the man on camera outside the gym.
We had to blur his face, because so far he hasn’t been charged with a crime by police. In the video, a woman questions why the man slid his phone under a stall in the locker room. He can be heard saying, "I’m literally listening to people whispering cat calls [to me] all of the time."
"I don’t know if he was just trying to assault me physically," said Cubias. "I feel like he was trying to see if he could [though].
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Pearland Police met with the man outside the gym. According to a PD spokesperson, they didn’t find anything alarming on his phone. However, they’re hoping to obtain a search warrant to check for deleted images.
A spokesperson from Planet Fitness says the suspect was the member of a guest.
"At Planet Fitness, the safety of our employees and members is our top priority," said a spokesperson from Planet Fitness. "We are aware of the incident at the Pearland location and take these matters extremely seriously. The guest [and member] involved in this incident are prohibited from Planet Fitness, and the local franchise owner is cooperating with authorities."
"I want others to be aware of their surroundings at the gym, on the road, or in the parking lot," said Cubias. "Just be aware."
If you have any information about this case or the suspect, you’re urged to call the Pearland Police Department.