Guelph police say an alleged thief’s unique tattoo helped identify her after she gave officers a fake name on Monday evening.
Police were called to a business in the plaza at Speedvale Avenue and Stevenson Street just before 7 p.m. for reports of a theft in progress.
A woman had walked out of the store with a shopping cart full of stolen merchandise despite being followed by staff, police said in a news release.
She was then stopped by responding officers and taken into custody.
According to police, she gave officers a fake name twice but officers spotted a tattoo on her. That tattoo was then compared against police records, which helped positively identify her.
Police spokesperson Scott Tracey said when people are arrested, their tattoos are photographed and documented.
“In this case, a query was done about a specific tattoo the female had and a match was found in our records which allowed officers to determine her true identity,” he said in an email.
A 35-year-old woman has been charged with theft under $5,000 and obstructing police.
She will make a court appearance in September.