Three arrested for Iowa City armed robberies

IOWA CITY - Three Iowa City men face charges in connection with two armed robberies.

According to Iowa City police criminal complaints, the first armed robbery happened around 4:30 a.m. March 25 in the 400 block of South Van Buren Street. Police said 20-year-old Taylin J. Anderson and 22-year-old Nico A. Johnson-Williams entered an apartment and gathered the three occupants into the living room.

Police said one victim was hit in the face and injured. One of the men held the victims at gunpoint while the other searched the apartment and stole multiple items.

The second robbery is alleged to have occurred shortly before 3 a.m. March 26 in the 500 block of East Burlington Street. This time, Anderson and Johnson-Williams were joined by 18-year-old Alexander R. Regennitter, police said.

Police said the three men entered the apartment, pointed a gun at the resident and threatened his life repeatedly. The men went through the victim's apartment and stole some of his belongings, police said.

Many of the items stolen in the Van Buren Street robbery were later found in Anderson's home when officers executed a search warrant there, police said. Several of Anderson's acquaintances said he committed the robbery, and Anderson also sent his girlfriend a text telling her to get rid of the stolen property because he was in custody, police said.

Anderson's girlfriend told police he and Johnson-Williams committed the robbery.

The victim in the Burlington Street robbery identified Anderson as one of the suspects. Additionally, Johnson-Williams admitted to taking part in the Burlington Street robbery and displaying a handgun. When Regennitter was taken into custody, he was wearing a coat stolen from the Burlington Street apartment and admitted to being involved in the robbery.

Anderson and Johnson-Williams each face two counts of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary. Regennitter faces one count each of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary. Both offenses are Class B felonies punishable by up to 25 years in prison.