Police in Riverside, California are looking for a man who robbed a caricature artist but left a key piece of evidence behind – his own portrait.
WSB-TV 2 reports the incident occurred on December 5, just as the caricature artist completed the drawing of the suspect. The suspect in question is alleged to have taken off running with the bag in which the artist stored his money.
Despite the portrait showing larger-than-life features, law enforcement hopes to gain leads that will result in an eventual arrest.
The suspect is described as being Black, 5 ft. 1 in., average build with black hair and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a blue and red jacket, white undershirt, black pants and red hat.
"This caricature is of the suspect, but of course, has exaggerated characteristics and features," Riverside Law enforcement featured on its Facebook page.
Police also mentioned that they want to speak with "anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity," reports ABC News.
"Around 11:50 p.m., the suspect approached the victim and asked for a portrait of himself. The victim agreed and created the attached caricature of the suspect. Once the victim was finished, the suspect grabbed a money bag that belonged to the victim, which contained about $500 in cash. The suspect fled on foot leaving his portrait behind," reports Newsweek.
Another case of crimes committed by dumb criminals occurred in January of this year.
A Georgia man drove a stolen car to pick up his girlfriend who was in jail for also stealing a vehicle. According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, 26-year-old Derrick Taylor-Canty picked up his girlfriend, Akhria Cooper, after she was taken to Gwinnett County Jail for seemingly driving a stolen car. Officers noticed her license plates were the same as a vehicle reported stolen at a Thrifty Car Rental in Tennessee.
“After making contact with the driver, the officer discovered that the license plate displayed on the back of the Jeep was stolen," Michele Pihera, a spokeswoman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, said. "The driver told the officer that she purchased the vehicle through an ad on a buy/sell/trade website."
When Taylor-Canty traveled to pick up his 24-year-old girlfriend, he was confronted in the parking lot by investigators and placed under arrest when his VIN revealed he was driving a stolen vehicle.
In the case of the caricature criminal, Riverside Police are asking anyone with information to come forward by contacting 951-826-2054 or [email protected].