A Maryland 18-year-old is under arrest and facing rape charges for sexually assaulting two women in a Montgomery County gym, and authorities say more victims may be out there.
Silver Spring resident Samba Dieng, 18, faces several charges, including second-degree rape, after allegedly sexually assaulting two women at the LA Fitness in North Bethesda.
“We do want to make sure that if you were a victim, to come forward and tell your story,” Shiera Goff, the Montgomery County Police Department’s director of public information, said.
Police received a call from a staff member at the LA Fitness on Rockville Pike Friday night, after the victims said the assailant came into the women’s locker room and went on the attack while they showered.
According to court documents, one of the victims told detectives “she was washing her hair, facing away from the shower head and towards the shower curtain” when she was assaulted, and the she “had shampoo in her eyes and was unable to see the suspect before they fled the locker room.”
The other victim told detectives a similar story.
"It's like disturbing, like knowing that us, we're not able to feel safe,” one member, who did not want to be named, said. "I find it really absurd. It's really upsetting."
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"I feel uncomfortable to take a shower here because it's an open space for everyone,” Dayana Yuccubaleyeva, a member of the gym, said.
Detectives said staff were able to stop the suspect from taking off and held him until officers arrived. Investigators reviewed surveillance video and eventually arrested Dieng at his home Wednesday morning, but the case is not closed yet.
Authorities said he has visited several LA Fitness locations in the DMV, including four in Montgomery County and one in Prince George’s County, so it’s possible there are more victims out there.
“Because we do know that he has had access to other gyms, we want to make sure that there are no other victims,” Goff said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police.
