Woman is attacked, cut downtown

LACONIA — A downtown transient was arrested Wednesday night on charges that he tried to rob a woman and cut her neck, police said. The woman was treated for minor cuts on her neck at Lakes Region General Hospital.

Traiton L. Lord, 19, was held in the county jail yesterday on charges of attempted armed robbery and second-degree assault.

He also faces an indecent exposure charge from an incident at the Fit Focus athletic club downtown last month.

Police arrested him without incident at 10:30 p.m. at the hospital, where he had gone for treatment of a cut hand.

The attempted robbery occurred at 67 Water St. at about 6:45 p.m.

A female employee said a man approached her and said he was homeless, needed a place to sleep and was hungry, police said. She gave him some food, but he returned and demanded money.

She tried to walk away, but he came up from behind her, put his hand over her mouth and held a sharp object to her neck.

There was a struggle, another employee approached and the man ran away.

Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield said it is unusual for the downtown transient population to be involved in this sort of incident.

“Typically the transient people are not committing violent crimes like this one,” he said. “They keep to themselves and, if there is a crime, it is usually drinking in public.”

The indecent exposure charge arose from incidents on March 25 and March 26 at Fit Focus involving an unclothed man who was in the women’s sauna and locker room.