A Minnesota woman’s mugshot is going viral because many think she looks like Jennifer Lopez.
On Sep. 17, TMZ posted the mug shot of 35-year-old Cyrena Anne Quast on its website.
The photo swiftly circulated beyond Wright County, where the suspect was arrested, and has been seen nationwide, if not globally.
One YouTube video featured the mug shot in a side-by-side photo with Jennifer Lopez, and the comments rolled in quickly.
“That’s Jenny from the block,” a comment from one user reads.
“Honestly, from the thumbnail pic, I thought it was JLo without makeup,” another person commented on the post.
What Did Quast Do?
On Aug. 30, Quast was allegedly caught stealing $580 worth of power tool batteries, according to jail records. The shop employee called Wright County police, who told them she did the same thing days prior, and the suspect was detained that day.
She was charged with gross misdemeanor theft. Additionally, Quast was held on a $0 bond, but it has conditions.
In Minnesota, if someone is found guilty of gross misdemeanor theft, they could face up to 364 days in prison. They could also have to pay fines equaling $3,000, according to Minnesota statutes.
Shoplifting Statewide
It is unclear how many cases of shoplifting happen in Minnesota per year, but some data suggest that in recent years, there’s been a decline.
According to a 2023 report from the Council on Criminal Justice, major cities like St. Paul and Minneapolis saw a significant drop of shoplifting cases.
In summer 2019, stores in the two cities reported around 100 thefts monthly, which dropped to 40 per month four years later.
Out of the 24 major cities the council analyzed, Minneapolis and St. Paul saw the second and third least amount of shoplifting.
Other Celebrity Look-Alikes
While shoplifting occurs thousands of times per year nationwide—the same can’t be said for a celebrity look-alike getting arrested. Yet the Quast story is not an isolated incident.
A few years back, a Pennsylvania man got attention due to his striking resemblance to singer Harry Styles.
The suspect, Jason Sanderlin, was arrested after kicking down the door to an apartment and stealing $400 and marijuana from its residents.
In another viral case, an Illinois man, Todd W. Barrick Jr., was arrested after violating probation.
When his mugshot was released on Facebook by Galesburg Police, many said he looked similar to the actor, Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White in Breaking Bad.
“This new “Breaking Bad” movie looks like it sucks,” a Facebook user commented.