A California man who asked a caricaturist to draw his portrait ended up allegedly stealing money from the artist, who gave police the cartoon-like drawing in hopes it would catch the thief.

The alleged theft occurred around 11:50 p.m. during the Festival of Lights event in downtown Riverside, on Dec. 5.

The suspect had asked the artist for a portrait of himself, but just as the caricaturist had finished, the suspect grabbed the artist's money bag containing roughly $500 and fled on foot -- leaving the drawing behind.

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The Riverside Police Department posted a photo of the drawing on its Facebook page, seeking the public's help in identifying the suspect.

"DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS CARICATURE? And no, we are not kidding," police said.

The suspect was described as a black male in his early 20s, about 5 feet 1 inch tall with an average build, black hair, and mustache. Police said he was last seen wearing a blue and red jacket, white undershirt, black pants, and a red hat.

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"This caricature is of the suspect, but of course, has exaggerated characteristics and features," police added.

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Anyone with more information on the man is advised to contact Jeff Putnam at 951-826-2054.