Two men who were staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Bethesda fled onto a ledge after an armed man came into their ninth-floor room. They were subsequently rescued.
The incident happened early on Thursday, with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responding to the scene to get the stranded men off the ninth-story ledge at around 12:45 a.m. By 2:30 a.m., the firefighters had gotten the men onto the ground and medically evaluated them; neither was injured, fire officials said later on Thursday.
In remarks to WTTG-TV, the Montgomery County Police Department accused suspect Makhari Eric Melvin, 18, of going into the hotel room and trying to rob the victims at gunpoint, which prompted them to climb out the window onto the ledge.
Mr. Melvin is facing misdemeanor charges of possessing a handgun without a serial number and having a handgun on his person, according to court records.
The police have not said whether charges of attempted robbery will be pursued against Mr. Melvin, who is due back in court on Feb. 20.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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