Woman claims stranger sexually harassed her after leaving Westside gym

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – A woman who said she was sexually assaulted after leaving the west side gym is sharing her story to warn of a crime alert in the neighborhood.

Zakiyyah Pippins, 28, is shaken by the frightening encounter that occurred outside Bailey’s Gym in a strip mall on 103rd Street near Blanding Boulevard.

She said she pulled into the parking lot around midnight last Friday to work out at the 24-Hour Fitness. Before she went in, she noticed a man who was believed to be homeless acting strangely.

Pippins described the man as having braids, a “strange hairline” and missing teeth.

“He saw my car, walked next to my car and looked at me strangely. At some point he walked away, so I thought I could safely go to the gym,” Pippins said.

Pippins said she went in and spent three hours in the gym and didn’t think about the man again.

But when she returned to her car, she said the man was waiting for her.

“I was walking to my car and noticed him walking very quickly next to me. Thank God I already had my phone in my hand and was able to call my husband. As I was calling his number, the man grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him,” Pippins said.

Pippins said the man groped her and then dragged her away from her car. She said he resisted and ran into the gym to call police.

She said the entire attack lasted about 25 seconds.

“It happened so fast. I never expected someone to do something like that. I never thought it would happen to me,” Pippins said. “I can’t believe someone touched me like that.”

A spokeswoman for Chuze Fitness, the parent company of Bailey’s gym, told news4JAX she was horrified to learn of Pippins’ fate.

“We are deeply concerned about the recent security incident that occurred outside our gym at 3 a.m. on May 24, 2024. The safety and well-being of our members is our top priority. While we cannot comment on the specifics of the ongoing investigation, we are working with our landlord and property management to review security measures to further enhance the safety of our members,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Tom Hackney, crime and security analyst at New4JAX, said everyone should be aware of their surroundings, but there may be situations where an attacker can force an unsuspecting victim to fight for their life.

“Be as safe as possible and if that means being armed, do it safely and know how to carry the weapon. You can always step back and use other means like pepper spray, self-defense classes or something like that,” Hackney said. “This is not just a women’s thing, anyone can do these things and try to protect themselves as best they can.”

Pippins said other homeless people witnessed the incident and did not intervene.

When the police arrived, everyone was gone.

If you have any information about this incident, call 904-630-0500.