A suspect has been identified as the suspect in connection with a crime in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, thanks in part to the help of a simple, hand-drawn sketch provided by a witness.
A criminal complaint has been filed against Hung Phuoc Nguyen, 44, charging him with two counts of theft by unlawful taking.
‘While the sketch provided by the witness may have appeared amateurish and cartoonish, it, along with the distinctive physical descriptors, jogged the memory of at least one investigator to provide a potential suspect name,’ Lancaster Bureau of Police officials said on Wednesday in a Crime Watch blog post.
Hung Phuoc Nguyen, 44, has been identified as the suspect for a crime in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, thanks in part to the help of a simple, hand-drawn sketch provided by a witness
Nguyen is suspected of impersonating a vendor and taking money from a stand at the Central Market in Lancaster, while an employee had stepped away.
The witness that provided the sketch also provided a description to local authorities, at the time of the initial police report on January 30.
The person who stole the cash and made his escape on foot was described as a male, between 30-40 years of age, 5-feet-4-inches tall, with a petite build and possibly of South American or Asian descent.
‘The suspect was further described as having straight, black hair that covered his ears and that he had wide-set cheekbones and a pointed chin,’ the Crime Watch blog said.
Nguyen is suspected of impersonating a vendor and taking money from a stand at the Central Market in Lancaster in January, while an employee had stepped away
Lancaster Police made the sketch, along with the description of the suspect and his actions, public on Tuesday in hopes the community might recognize the perpetrator.
People initially thought the sketch was a joke, but police set the story straight.
‘We released all of those details together in our police log in the hope that someone recognizes the suspect,’ Lancaster city police said, according to Lancaster Online.
‘This was not done in jest.’
All of the information, together, helped investigators and veteran officers identify the suspect as Nguyen, whose mugshot was then included in a photo array.
When that photo array was shown to the initial witness, the witness positively identified Nguyen as the suspect.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Nguyen, but his whereabouts remain unknown.
Lancaster Police have asked that anyone with information on Nguyen’s current location please call the police station at (717) 735-3300, Lancaster Crime Stoppers at (800) 322-1913, or use their anonymous service, Text a Tip to Crime Stoppers, by text messaging the word ‘LANCS’ plus your message to 847411.
Police reminded potential tipsters that they may remain anonymous and do not have to give their names.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Nguyen, but his whereabouts remain unknown; Lancaster Police have asked that anyone with information on Nguyen’s current location please call the police station