Smile! Photos Taken While Suspect Cashed in Stolen Cell Phones (Update)

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Updated:

Gwinnett Police said tips from people who saw the suspect’s photo in media reports led to the positive identification of the woman wanted for the cell phone thefts. More details will be released Tuesday, police said.

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Gwinnett Police say a female with bright red hair is wanted after cashing in 26 stolen cell phones at kiosks at two area malls.

What the suspect probably didn’t know was she was photographed each time.

Police released those photos in a Monday morning news release, asking for help in identifying the suspect, who is described by police as a “white female with bright red hair.”

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The cell phones, valued at more than $5,000, were reported stolen June 20 or 21 during a car break-in on Christiana Drive in unincorporated Gwinnett County near Lawrenceville. The phones were to be part of a cell phone store promotion on June 21, Gwinnett Police public information officer Cpl. Michele Pihera said.

Also stolen in the break-in were several SIM cards, cash and the victim’s driver’s license.

Pihera said on June 23, 26 and 28, the suspect cashed in the phones at EcoATM machines inside Gwinnett Place and Sugarloaf Mills malls. The machines pay cash for unwanted cell phones.

“A female is photographed selling all 26 phones to the machines over the course of the three dates,” Pihera said in the news release. “The suspect uses the victim’s stolen driver’s license to complete the transaction. She likely received $10-$200 for each of the phones depending on their value.”

All 26 phones are now in police custody and will be returned to the cellular provider.

If you have any information about the identity of the suspect, contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5362 or 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404 577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestoppersatlanta.org. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.

Photos: Cell-phone theft suspect; Gwinnett Police PIO (EcoATM images)