Chippewa Falls (WQOW) – An OWI suspect is earning some admiration from police for an unusual artistic endeavor.

It all started after a call on November 15 of a vehicle swerving through downtown Chippewa Falls. Police said the suspect failed and sobriety test and his plates came back as not registered to the vehicle.

That might be because they are not real plates.

Police Chief Matt Kelm said the man hand-painted the license plates on the back of a beer box.

Chief Kelm said the plates were so realistic officers were not even aware they were fake until speaking to the owner of the vehicle registered to the plates.

Chief Kelm said he has never seen anything like this in his years in law enforcement.

The suspect Nicholas Layton has yet to be formally charged.