A Pittsburgh man is accused of stealing a laptop from Best Buy in Cranberry Township and threatening to use pepper spray.

Police arrested and charged Kevin L. Somerville, 18, after the alleged robbery Jan. 19. Those charges include felony robbery and retail theft as well as misdemeanor possession of criminal instruments.

Following his arraignment, Somerville was placed in Butler County Prison on $10,000 bond.

According to charging documents, Somerville approached a Best Buy employee and said he wanted to buy an Apple Mac Book Pro, valued at about $2,500. Police said the employee retrieved the laptop from a part of the store that was secure and brought it to the register.

“After a brief conversation, Somerville removed a container of pepper spray from his pocket, pointed it at the sales associate’s face and stated, ‘I’m going to have to take this,’ as he picked up the laptop computer from the sales counter,” said the investigating officer in the affidavit.

Police said Somerville ran from the store and escaped. Police said when officers arrested him later, they found he still had the pepper spray.

“The pepper spray was not sprayed, only deployed and exhibited, which put the sales associate in fear of serious bodily harm,” police said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, pepper spray falls under the category of a riot control agent, which it defines as a chemical compound used to temporarily make a person unable to function by irritation of either the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs or skin.

The CDC said in addition to burning sensation, blurred vision and other immediate effects, some riot control agents, when used in large doses, can cause long-term effects, such as blindness and glaucoma. It said some agents can also cause chemical burns or respiratory failure that could kill a person.

Somerville is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Friday before District Judge Kevin Flaherty.