RACINE – A DNA sample found on a latex glove helped investigators apprehend an individual accused of a home burglary earlier this year.
The Racine County District Attorney’s Office charged Jelani K. Patton, 22, with being party to a crime of burglary with battery to a person, aggravated battery of an elderly person, and criminal property damage. All of the charges carry a repeat offender penalty enhancement. He was held in the Racine County Jail as of Thursday afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint, police investigated a burglary in the 4000 block of Lakeview Drive in Mount Pleasant on Jan. 2. The home’s occupant, an 86-year-old man, told investigators that he was awakened by the sounds of voices in his home and confronted two males in the guest room. The occupant stated that he was pushed into a closet and injured his arm. The two males ran from the home and fled in a vehicle.
Police discovered that someone had attempted to kick in the door and that a window had been broken. Footprints and a latex glove were on the ground outside. Inside the home, it appeared that a hall closet, a guest room closet, and guest room drawers had been rummaged. The occupant reported that $50 in cash had been taken from an envelope and a small jewelry box containing military buttons, ID tags and cuff links, a silver chain, and wedding bands.
Investigators also found a gold cellphone on the living room floor. Data extracted from the phone revealed a Facebook account for Adam Jackson, 23, including a message from Jan. 3 stating that Jackson had lost his phone the night before to another individual. Investigators also discovered conversations in which “it appears as if Jackson is attempting to sell jewelry.” Jackson is named as a co-defendant with Patton.
The criminal complaint reported that lab results, received in late May from the latex glove testing found at the scene, showed the glove contained Patton’s DNA.
Patton was also held this week on unrelated charges of misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor bail jumping. He was accused of taking a woman’s cell phone, house key, and car key from her residence following an argument on Aug. 14.
