Cops use phone, Google Earth to track alleged abductor

A Pittsburgh-area man who allegedly assaulted his ex and kidnapped their baby was tracked to Upper Darby early this morning via his cell phone and Google Earth, according to police.

Around 1:30 a.m., Upper Darby police received a call from police in North Versailles, a town about 13 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, who were trying to locate Edward Johnson, a 36-year-old man who had allegedly assaulted his ex and kidnapped their 6-month-old baby boy, said Upper Darby Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

North Versailles authorities were able to develop two coordinates on Johnson using recent calls he had made on his cell phone, and the coordinates indicated that Johnson was in the Upper Darby area, Chitwood said.

An officer with Upper Darby police then entered those coordinates in to Google Earth and was able to narrow Johnson's location down to the 500 block of South 69th Street.

Police went door-to-door on the block and at one of the homes a woman said Johnson was her son and was sleeping on her living room couch, Chitwood said. When police entered the home, Johnson was found asleep with the child nearby.

The baby, who suffers from significant medical issues, was taken to Delaware County Memorial Hospital, where he was checked and determined to be fine. By 1 p.m. today, the baby had been returned home to his mother, Chitwood said.

Johnson is currently being held as a fugitive at Delaware County Prison and is awaiting transport back to North Versailles, where he will face a litany of charges, including violations of a protection-from-abuse order his ex had against him.

Though Johnson's alleged actions are horrendous, Chitwood noted that his unusual hairstyle is "bodacious."