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Cops Nab Burglar Who Left Pic Of Himself On Laptop

RIVERSIDE, Ill. (CBS) -- Riverside Police have arrested a 44-year-old Berwyn man accused of stealing a laptop computer from a home last month--and leaving his own photo on the computer.

After Riverside Police got the stolen MacBook Pro computer back--from an electronics store where Dominick Harvey allegedly sold it for cash-- police released the photo they say Harvey snapped of himself.


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And Police Chief Tom Weitzel says within minutes, people were calling - identifying Harvey.

Why did Harvey leave his own photo on the computer he stole?

"It was absolutely done out of stupidity," Weitzel said.

Weitzel says Harvey didn't realize what he'd done.

"He heard a click go off and then he went into the system and saw that the picture was on there," Weitzel said. "He tried for weeks to get that photo off himself, but could not do that."

Weitzel says police tried to track Harvey down for weeks--but he kept moving around because he knew his photo was out there.

Laptop Suspect
A theft suspect apparently left a picture of himself on a stolen laptop that he later sold. (Credit: Riverside Police)

Finally, the net closed this week.

Weitzel says a scar above Harvey's eye helped identify him.

Weitzel says Harvey was committing home burglaries to get cash to buy heroin.

Harvey is being held on $300,000 bond.

Harvey has a criminal history of burglary and is currently on parole for residential burglary. He gave police a full confession and is currently being held in Riverside pending investigations by other police jurisdictions.

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