A password-protected phone stymied a thief when he tried three times and failed to get in.

But then it went a step further and clicked a photo to mail to the phone's owner. It came out pretty good, too, as you can see in the attached photo.

Hillsborough sheriff's deputies say the phone's owner was pumping gas at the Texaco at 7710 Causeway Blvd. in Riverview on May 23 around 5 p.m.

When the man went inside to pay for the gas, an unidentified suspect entered the victim's car and stole his Samsung 4 cell phone.

After the three failed attempts, a phone application called Lookout snapped a photo of the suspect and forwarded it in an email to its owner.

If you know this guy or have information about the theft, call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) to be eligible for a cash reward.