Suspects Charged in Gaithersburg Armed Robbery

Less than an hour after an alleged armed robbery early Saturday morning in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County Police arrested a 21-year-old Chevy Chase woman and a male companion whom police say watched from across the street.

Shortly after 3am Saturday, Montgomery County police responded to the intersection of Goshen Road and Girard Street—just north of Olde Towne—for a report of an armed robbery. The victim told officers that she had been approached by a woman who brandished a small handgun, took her purse and fled on foot.

Roughly 40 minutes later, an officer saw a woman who matched the suspect description get into a taxi with a man a half-mile away, near the intersection of North Summit and East Diamond avenues, police said.

Ronda A. Fitzpatrick, 21, of the 9200 block of Jones Mill Road in Chevy Chase is charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Danylo Andri Demidenko, 22, of the 7100 block of Mill Run Drive in Derwood watched the robbery, police said. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

A police spokeswoman did not know the nature of their relationship.

Fitzpatrick is being held lieu of $100,000 bond, while Demidenko is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond. Fitzpatrick's preliminary hearing in Montgomery County District Court is set for April 6; Demidenko's is April 16.