Whole Foods caviar bandit with strong resemblance to Hollywood action star is hunted for stealing $1,700 worth of fish eggs
SOURCE:Daily Mail
Police shared their weekly Wanted Wednesday post, warning the public to be on the lookout for a caviar thief with an uncanny resemblance to British actor Jason Statham.
A Jason Statham look-alike has been caught on camera swiping $1,700 worth of caviar from a Whole Foods store in California.
The Irving Police Department shared their weekly #WantedWednesday post to Facebook this week, warning the public to be on the lookout for a man who bears an eerie resemblance to the British 58-year-old actor who starred in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Last month, the unidentified thief allegedly wandered the aisles like a routine shopper before slipping the fish eggs into a Whole Foods paper bag and heading for the exit.
'This is not Jason Statham filming an action scene in a grocery store,' the department said in the post.
Instead, authorities said the man staged a 'typical shopping trip,' even tossing random items in his basket, before secretly stashing the caviar in a store paper bag he brought with him.
He allegedly made a beeline for the door, discarding the basket and walking out carrying only the high-end goods.
In the post, police released a photo of the suspect dressed head-to-toe in black, balancing a nearly empty basket in one hand and the brown paper bag in the other.
Security footage showed the bandit casually strolling down one of the store’s aisles - even passing other shoppers - before leaving the Irvine Center Drive store.
A Jason Statham look-alike was caught swiping $1,700 worth of caviar from a Whole Foods store
The Irving Police Department shared their weekly #WantedWednesday post to Facebook and warned the public to be on the lookout for a man who bears an eerie resemblance to the British actor (pictured)
The unidentified thief allegedly made off with $1,700 of caviar. File photo of the fish eggs
According to authorities, the man crammed the brown bag with dozens of expensive cans of fish eggs, each costing between $99 to $170.
'I don't know that we've had $1,700 worth of fish eggs stolen [before],' Irvine Police Department Public Information Officer Kyle Oldoerp told CBS.
'Definitely a large amount, and I don't know what he did with it,' he added. 'That's the million-dollar question.'
Oldoerp said he expects the suspect to be caught, explaining that the department's weekly Wanted Wednesday posts often bring in several leads from the public.
He told the outlet that he hopes a viewer 'notices this fishy suspect and gives us a call.'
The post certainly grabbed the public’s eye, though the hundreds of comments were more captivated by the bizarre heist rather than identifying the suspect.
'Caviar doesn't help with hair growth,' one commenter wrote, taking aim at the suspect's shiny bald head.
Authorities said the man staged a 'typical shopping trip,' even tossing random items in his basket, before stashing the caviar in a store paper bag he brought with him
Security footage showed the bandit casually strolling down one of the store’s aisles. The Irvine Center Drive store is pictured
According to authorities, the man crammed the brown bag with dozens of expensive cans of fish eggs, each costing between $99 to $170
Another read: 'Jason Statham is extremely generous.'
'Easy to recognize that face!!! YIKES!' a viewer added. 'Like Elizabeth Taylor would say, "You get the face you deserve." LOL.'
'That's a little fishy to me! Lol well I hope he gets caught in a net! That's a lot of Caviar!' said another.
One viewer said: 'Imagine catching a felony over nasty fish eggs.'
The comment section was flooded with opinions on his celebrity doppelgänger - some dismissing the resemblance, others posting funny Statham memes.
'He sure as hell doesn't look like Statham. This guy has elf ears,' one commenter wrote.
Another added: 'There is no universe where someone mistakes that for Statham. He looks like a lumpy Anton LaVey.'
'I think he was the brother that was chained up in the basement in the movie Goonies,' said a third.
One viewer quipped: 'With those ears and with that face, he should be easy to recognize.'
Interestingly, many commenters thought the caviar thief’s attire resembled a chef’s uniform, leading to guesses that he could work in - or even run - a restaurant.
'Must be an underpaid executive chef!' one user wrote.
Another said: 'Creepy! He probably owns a restaurant.'
'That's a chef's outfit also, shame!' added a third.
The department is calling on the public to contact Detective Drake at jdrake@cityofirvine.org if anyone can identify the man - or has a clue about what became of nearly $2,000 worth of caviar.
This is not the first time a store thief has been compared to a famous face.
In 2018, a manhunt by police in Blackpool in the UK took a hilarious turn after their main suspect was likened as a dead ringer for 'Ross from Friends.'
In 2018 Blackpool Police in the UK released footage of an alleged thief bearing a resemblance to Friends star David Schwimmer
'Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation,' posted the actor, who plays Ross in Friends
The original post read: 'Do you recognize this man? We want to speak to him in relation to a theft at a Blackpool restaurant on the 20th September.'
However, Facebook users were quick to point out the similarities with the Friends actor David Schwimmer.
Facebook user Nick Croston commented on the post: 'I don't think it's been this guy's day, his week, his month or even his year....'
Aaron Milburn added: 'Please approach with caution. He is known to have studied karate and we believe he has mastered the art of Unagi, the state of total awareness.'
Even the police and Schwimmer himself joined in on the joke.
Police posted: 'Thank you to everyone for your speedy responses. We have investigated this matter thoroughly and have confirmed that David Schwimmer was in America on this date. We're so sorry it has to be this way.'
Schwimmer posted a hilarious spoof video of himself with his arms full of beer cans in a New York store.
'Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation,' Schwimmer posted.
Abdulah Husseini, originally from Tehran, was arrested for stealing the beer and charged with a string of fraud and theft offences.
Daily Mail has reached out to Jason Statham for comment.