How Philly police tracked down Temple home invasion suspect
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Germantown man is facing more than a dozen criminal charges related to two home invasion robberies where Temple University students were victims.
Nasir Johnson, 25, is charged with robbery, burglary, kidnapping along with conspiracy, vehicle theft, weapons offenses and others related to accessing cell phones.
Police linked Johnson to a string of robberies of Temple University students on Nov. 11, 2022 and Monday, November 21, as well as an unrelated car theft of a Lexus.
His arrest came after police tracked multiple stolen cars and an alleged fraudulent Cashapp payment using a robbery victim's phone. Here are details of the incidents and the investigation, according to police and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.
Nov. 11, 2022 robbery: 15th and Master streets
In the Nov. 11 incident, police allege Johnson and another man entered a rowhome on the 1300 block of North 15th Street before 6 a.m. Eleven Temple students inside were awoken at gunpoint and forced into the basement. Their phones, laptops, wallets and other valuables were collected and they were ordered to unlock their phones and disable security settings.
Johnson and the other man also allegedly stole the keys to a 2015 Lincoln MKZ.
Video from a Sunoco gas station showed the suspects making purchases using debit cards belonging to two of the victims. One of the victims' phones was also used to make a Cashapp payment to an account believed to belong to Johnson's girlfriend.
Nov. 21, 2022 robbery: 18th and Berks streets
In the Monday incident, police say Johnson and another man entered a home on the 1900 block of North 18th Street around 6:18 a.m., forcing the door open.
The men allegedly locked four residents in the bathroom while they took several items from the home including a Glock handgun, phones, a tablet, smart watches, a MacBook Pro laptop and the keys to a black Mitsubishi owned by one of the victims.
Like in the Nov. 11 robbery, the victims were ordered to unlock and disable security on their phones.
Stolen cars were key to the investigation
The Lincoln stolen on Nov. 11 was found on the 100 block of Logan Street four days later. Philadelphia police detectives found evidence in the car that linked the men to the Lexus theft.
On Nov. 21, the same day as the most recent home invasion, the Lexus was found on Royal Street in Germantown. Officers set up surveillance and allegedly saw Johnson enter the Lexus with a key.
Then, police investigated the vehicle and found a debit card and two Apple Watches that were taken in the home invasion that day.
Other items from the robberies were found after police obtained a warrant and searched Johnson's home.
What's next?
Prosecutors will request Johnson be held on $6 million bail.
Details on the other suspects have not been released.
