Police: Fingerprints on Pepper Spray Lead to Arrest

Racine police say a Mount Pleasant man was identified as the suspect in an armed robbery because his fingerprints on a pepper spray container left at the scene were deemed a match.

Riyan Hurns, 18, was charged Thursday in Racine County Circuit Court with felony counts of armed robbery and use of oleoresin capsicum during the commission of a crime causing injury. He was also charged with misdemeanor battery. If convicted, Hurns faces up to 46 years, nine months in jail and/or up to $120,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, Racine police were called Dec. 8 for a report of a robbery in the 1600 block of Douglas Avenue. When officers arrived, a man told them he had been attacked from behind by three males as he was entering his apartment. 

The man told police one of the suspects grabbed him and another one sprayed him with pepper spray. Police say the man was punched and kicked after he fell to the ground and that his attackers took his wallet before running away.

After the attack, the man's roommate reported seeing one of the suspects return to the area and look around where the attack took place. The suspect took off when the roommate yelled, but he was able to direct officers to where the suspect was looking, the complaint reads.

Officers say they recovered a cell phone and a canister of what turned out to be pepper spray (oleoresin capsicum) from the site of the attack. A photo on the cell phone identified one of the suspects, and fingerprints on the canister were positively matched to Hurns.

A $25,000 warrant was issued for Hurns arrest, but it was vacated when he appeared in court Thursday. He remains in the Racine County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond and will have his preliminary hearing on Sept. 4. If Hurns posts bail, conditions include not having any contact with the victim of the attack.