Woman kidnapped, assaulted after leaving gym

HOUSTON – Police are looking for a teenager they said kidnapped and raped a woman at gunpoint as she left her north Houston gym last week.
On Nov. 14, the victim was sitting inside her parked car at Fitness Connection in Greenspoint Mall when she said a man with a gun approached her window. She said he forced his way into the driver's seat and threatened to kill her.
Court documents identify the suspect as Robert Nelson Lauderdale, Jr. According to police, Lauderdale drove the woman a few blocks to the Knights Inn hotel and forced her at gunpoint to walk to a room on the second floor where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her.
Before driving her back to Fitness Connection, he made the woman take a shower and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. The woman identified Lauderdale from a lineup. Police do not know if he has any prior sexual assault charges against him.
DeShunda Jones often stays at the hotel said no one told her about the crime. The hotel has security cameras, but Jones said the case makes her fear for her own safety.
"You never know. I have an 11-year-old daughter. To me, you can never be too careful. Ever," Jones said.
No one at Fitness Connection or Greenspoint Mall management responded to calls for comment from KPRC.