UPDATE: A 39-year-old man has been arrested for theft under $5,000 and will be in Nanaimo Provincial Court on August 8. Police said they were able to make the arrest within 48 hours due to the suspect’s selfie being widely shared through via social media and news outlets.

Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s help to find a man responsible for stealing a woman’s iPhone and her purse on July 5.

Mounties have a very clear picture of the suspect because he uploaded a photo of himself after allegedly stealing the device.

The victim had her phone and purse stolen in the 600-block of Kennedy Street when she left her purse beside her car while carrying a bag to the garbage. She looked back at one point and saw a man near her car. When she returned, her purse was gone.

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The next day she bought a new phone and when it was activated, pictures were automatically uploaded. One of those pictures was of the man seen by her purse just before it went missing.

If anyone has information about this theft, they are asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or contact Crime Stoppers at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com, text 274637, keyword Nanaimo or call 1-800-222-8477.