If you watch Criminal Minds, CSI, or any other sleuth police TV show, you've heard of AFIS.

AFIS, or Automated Fingerprint Identification System,  is a sophisticated program that matches fingerprints from crime scenes to a nationwide system,  including virtually all legal and law enforcement agencies.

On CSI it's often heard, "run that through AFIS."   Well, Kennewick police did, and now a kidnapping suspect is in jail.

June 22nd, a 65-year-old woman was injured when the suspect attempted to force his way into her car in the early evening hours, at the Kennewick Fred Meyer parking lot.  The suspect entered the woman's car from the rear as she was preparing to exit, and attempted to force her to drive him away from the location.   She fought the suspect, and despite sustaining minor injuries, was able to run into the store.

The suspect left in a black sedan.  What he didn't know is that fingerprints from the scene and other evidence were collected.   When run through AFIS, by the Washington State Crime Lab, they got a hit.  It took some time to get a latent print from the scene, and other investigating, but the print was finally able to be sent to the crime lab.   A suspect was pinpointed, and he happened to be here in Tri-Cities.

Now, 31-year-old Monya D. Townsend of Kennewick is in the Benton County Jail on kidnapping and felony harrassment charges.

Now, run that through AFIS!

 

More From 870 AM KFLD