MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Authorities say a wave of carjackings and shootings has come to an end, with charges against eight rival gang members in Norristown.
The investigation started with an Instagram post.
Authorities say 19-year-old Anthony Bell of Norristown inadvertently posted a video of himself inside a stolen Chevy Cruze, which was used in a carjacking in Philadelphia at the end of January.
The next day, Norristown police tried to stop Bell, who was driving a stolen Nissan Rogue. He sped off and was arrested after he crashed on the Schuylkill Expressway.
Police found that Bell had the keys to a stolen pickup and two phones. A forensic search of the phones turned up other suspects posing with guns.
After an investigation that involved state police and the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, eight people were charged, with five recovered guns linked to nine incidents of gun violence in Norristown.
Bell; Micus Golson, 17; Drehcir Brown, 18; David Anthony Demko Jr., 23; Elija Collazo Jr., 23; Victor Bell Jr., 20; Xavier Fuentes, 20, all of Norristown; and Jhalil Allen, 26, of Philadelphia, are charged with robbery of a motor vehicle, robbery, aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking, and related offenses. An arrest warrant has been issued for Collazo.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, in a statement, said that since the arrests over the last two months, Norristown had seen a 70% decrease in shootings.