RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KTLA) – A man who asked to have a caricature of himself drawn stole the artist’s money, according to police officials who shared the drawing of the alleged thief Tuesday.
The incident occurred about 11:50 p.m. Dec. 5 during the Festival of Lights event in downtown Riverside, California.
The man asked the victim for a portrait of himself and once the victim was finished, the subject grabbed the victim’s money bag and ran away, leaving the sketch behind, police said.
The bag contained about $500 in cash.
“Do you recognize this caricature? And no, we are not kidding,” police said in a Facebook post sharing the drawing. “This caricature is of the suspect, but of course, has exaggerated characteristics and features.”
The man is described as being in his early 20s, about 5 feet 1 inch tall, with an average build, black hair and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a blue and red jacket, white undershirt, black pants and a red hat.
Anyone with information about the man can contact Jeff Putnam at 951-826-2054 or jputnam@riversideca.gov.