The Brief
- A Scottsdale man was arrested after allegedly using Instagram vacation posts to target high-end homes across five Valley cities.
- Police say Tyler Lee Johnston, 41, cut power to luxury residences late at night to disable security cameras before stealing Rolexes, firearms and rare collectibles.
- Authorities caught Johnston following a multi-agency drone surveillance operation and suspect he may be connected to more than 20 home burglaries.
PHOENIX – A Scottsdale man is behind bars after allegedly executing a sophisticated, multi-city burglary spree that targeted high-end homes by tracking victims’ vacation updates on social media.
What we know:
Police arrested 41-year-old Tyler Lee Johnston early Sunday morning following a joint investigation involving five Valley law enforcement agencies. Authorities suspect Johnston may be connected to anywhere from a dozen to more than 20 residential burglaries across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Gilbert and Mesa, with stolen property including luxury watches, designer handbags, guns and sports collectibles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The scheme
According to court documents, Johnston identified wealthy victims through mutual social circles in the Scottsdale hospitality scene and followed their accounts on Instagram. When homeowners posted pictures or videos showing they were traveling out of state or abroad, investigators say Johnston used the updates to confirm the houses were empty before striking.
Court records describe a distinct pattern used throughout a spree of burglaries. Johnston allegedly drove a white Toyota Camry to target homes late at night and routinely disabled the main power breaker boxes to shut off electricity and disable security cameras. His distinct 6-foot-5 frame then allegedly forced entry through rear glass doors or windows while wearing a black ski mask, gloves and dark clothing.…