Alleged serial robber to Raleigh police: 'You guys got me'

An affidavit attached to an Oct. 11 search warrant for Johnson's home said he made the "spontaneous utterance" when he was taken into police custody while driving a white 2013 Dodge Charger – similar to a car caught on security video from a Walmart parking lot on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh.

Investigators say in the affidavit that security video captured a man strongly resembling Johnson buying clothing and a skeleton mask that matched a description given by a woman who was robbed hours later at a home on Wynneford Way in north Raleigh.

According to a 911 call related to that crime, the victim said she was outside with a dog that she was pet-sitting when a man wearing a skull mask, cape and old gray sneakers approached her and forced her to go to the upstairs of the home to look for jewelry. She was ultimately able to get away to a nearby gas station for help.

The warrant released Monday says that a "concerned citizen" whom police interviewed brought a pair of sunglasses, a Samsung tablet computer and keyboard that were stolen during the Sept. 27 crime and described seeing other property at Johnson's home that appeared to match property stolen during the robberies.

"In addition, the citizen said Johnson has recently been in possession of jewelry, large amounts of U.S. currency, televisions and computers," investigators state in the affidavit. "Johnson did not offer the concerned citizen a logical explanation as to how he came into possession of these items."

Police seized more than 100 items from Johnson's home, including more than three dozen pieces of jewelry, numerous purses, a wallet with $1,684, rare coins, three televisions, firearms – including a black Umarex airsoft pistol – ammunition, three North Carolina license plates, four iPads, various hard drives and computers and an appraisal sheet for a ring.

Investigators also took from the home two GMAX motorcycle helmets, an adult bearded mask with a red ball cap, a multi-colored ski sweater with eye holes, a poster described in the warrant only as being "subjects wearing masks made by suspect."

In addition to the Wynneford Way robbery, Johnson faces charges in seven other cases.

Victims in several of the other crimes reported being robbed at or near their homes while getting out of their cars by a man wearing something over his face – in some cases he was wearing a ski mask and in others he wore a motorcycle helmet with a full-face shield.

In some cases, the victims said they were forced to drive to ATMs and withdraw cash and were then left on the side of the road. In one case, a woman said she awoke in the middle of the night to a man in her bedroom who threatened to kill her children if she didn't give him $45,000.

Authorities haven't talked about a motive for the crime, but Johnson's wife told WRAL News they were having financial problems.

Johnson was being held Monday at the Wake County Detention Center under a $3.6 million bond.