Philadelphia

Philly High School Football Star and Penn State Recruit Isheem Young Accused of Robbing Wawa Store

Isheem Young, 18, was arrested early Friday morning and charged with robbery, simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment and other related offenses.

A Philadelphia high school football star and Penn State University recruit is accused of robbing a Wawa store over the summer.

Isheem Young, 18, was arrested early Friday morning. He remained held on $150,000 bond Monday.

Police say Young, who was 17 at the time, robbed a Wawa store on the 1600 block of Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia back on July 30. Surveillance video captured a suspect, identified by investigators as Young, entering the office of the store. Police say he was armed with a gun and demanded cash from the safe. He then took $13,600 in $1 and $5 bills and ordered two Wawa employees to lie on the floor before fleeing the scene on foot toward Tasker Street, police said. 

Surveillance video captured the suspect running into a gold Buick Century which police say fled southbound on I-95, according to investigators.

On Nov. 30, exactly four months after the robbery, police spotted the getaway vehicle on the 200 block of W. Seymour Street. As officers towed it, the owner of the car, identified as 21-year-old Rafi Johnson, approached his vehicle, investigators said. Johnson was then arrested and a search warrant was executed at his home and on the car, according to investigators.

Johnson allegedly admitted to being the getaway driver during the robbery. Police obtained more information and identified Young as the robbery suspect. They also determined the Wawa assistant manager, identified as Quasir Wingate, who they originally interviewed as a witness, was involved in the robbery.

Philly.com reports Wingate is Young's brother though police did not confirm this with NBC10. 

Wawa Theft Arrests Isheem Young Quasir Wingate Rafi Johnson
Philadelphia Police
Isheem Young, Quasir Wingate and Rafi Johnson are accused in a south Philly Wawa robbery.

On Friday, police executed a search warrant at Young's and Wingate's Mt. Vernon Street home. They then arrested both Young and Wingate at the location. They also say they found the hooded sweatshirt Young allegedly wore during the robbery though they did not find the money or a weapon.

Young, Johnson and Wingate are all charged with aggravated assault, robbery, criminal conspiracy and other related offenses.

Young was a star running back at Imhotep Institute Charter High School who was profiled on NBC10's High School Blitz.

Imhotep High School safety Isheem Young’s road to the next level started much younger than most. Now he’s ready to take a big step forward in his football dreams. NBC10’s Erin Coleman has the story.

ESPN ranked him the No. 6 recruit in Pennsylvania and the No. 170 recruit in the Class of 2018. Young committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions on July 18, nearly two weeks before the alleged robbery.

Young missed Imhotep Charter’s Class 4A state semifinal win over Bethlehem Catholic Friday night due to the arrest.

Penn State has not yet released a statement on the charges against Young.

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