A St. Mary’s man and woman have been arrested on attempted armed robbery charges in court papers stating that the failed heist occurred last week outside a Ridge woman’s apartment, after the pair allegedly were dropped off there by the intended victim’s estranged husband.

A judge ordered last Thursday that Benjamin Dermaine Hebb, 36, of Lexington Park remain jailed in lieu of $20,000 bond, and that Heather Nicole Young, 28, of Leonardtown be held in lieu of $3,000 bond. Bobbie Lee Coontz, 27, of Lexington Park was released Thursday on 10 percent of $5,000 bond after his arrest on a charge of being an accessory to armed robbery.

St. Mary’s sheriff’s deputies went on Aug. 28 to Kathleen Kelly Coontz’s home along Route 5, court papers state, and she reported that a masked man armed with a handgun had tried to rob her of money and medication. She refused to comply, and went inside and called 911.

Kathleen Coontz told police that, moments before the attempted robbery, Young had knocked on her door and asked her to come outside, according to charging papers from the investigation.

The next day, law officers raided a home where Hebb and Bobbie Coontz were staying, and Bobbie Coontz admitted driving Hebb and Young to the Ridge residence and picking them up a few minutes later, St. Mary’s detective Cpl. Robert Merritt wrote in a statement of probable cause.

Earlier last week, Bobbie Coontz filed a charges application alleging that his wife hit him in the chest and struck his head with a cellphone on Aug. 24 during an argument as they were traveling in their vehicle in Ridge. A court commissioner issued a summons on Thursday with a charge against Kathleen Coontz of second-degree assault.

JOHN WHARTON