Arrest made in string of Montgomery hotel robberies
Man tied to crimes after his broken-down car matched description of getaway vehicle
Montgomery County Police arrested a man Thursday evening and charged him with robbing three hotels in Rockville and Gaithersburg between late December and Feb. 3.
Johnnie Albert Duvall, 45, of 9905 Tambay Court in Montgomery Village, was charged with two counts of strong-arm robbery and one count of armed robbery.
At approximately 2:15 a.m. Feb. 3, officers were called to the Courtyard Marriott hotel located at 2500 Research Blvd. in Rockville. A robber had assaulted a male clerk in the lobby and obtained an undisclosed amount of money from the front desk, said police spokesman Cpl. Dan Friz.
Shortly after, county police officers stopped to assist a motorist in distress on the side of Shady Grove Road. Officers saw the resemblance between the motorist's automobile and the gold Mazda spotted as the getaway vehicle in two of the three robberies, police said. A warrant was obtained for Duvall and he was arrested Wednesday evening by detectives.
The first robbery occurred approximately 2:48 a.m. Dec. 23. Police were called to the Comfort Inn at 16216 North Frederick Road in Rockville. A man entered the lobby of the hotel, told the clerk on duty he had a concealed pistol and demanded money, which he received, Friz said. The robber fled in a gold Mazda.
The next robbery occurred Feb. 2. At approximately 11:19 p.m., police were called to the Holiday Inn at 2 Montgomery Village Ave. in Gaithersburg. A robber grabbed the male hotel clerk by his shirt and demanded money, Friz said. Upon receiving cash, he fled in a gold Mazda.
None of the victims required medical attention, Friz said.
Police did not find a weapon, he said. However, just the threat of having a weapon is enough to charge Duvall with armed robbery, Friz said. Police think the robber in all three robberies acted alone.
Duvall is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Center in Rockville. Online court records did not list an attorney for Duvall as of Thursday evening.