ON A JAILBREAK?

British Cops Arrest Suspect in Viral ‘Ross From Friends’ Theft

The suspected thief was tracked down after the social-media campaign, with a little help from David Schwimmer himself.

It turns out the mystical art of Unagi can only keep you hidden for so long.

The suspected thief who caused hilarity across the world with his uncanny resemblance to the character Ross Gellar from Friends has been tracked down by British police, who have thanked actor David Schwimmer for his help.

Police in Blackpool, England, were inundated with thousands of comments—mostly about the suspect being on a break—after issuing an appeal last month for the alleged thief, who was pictured in CC images carrying a big crate of beers.

Naturally, the comments descended into a Friends reference competition. One user wrote: “Shouldn’t he be at work… or is he on a break?” Another posted: “I bet he was shouting ‘PIVOT’ as he picked those beers up.” Another added: “Please approach with caution. He is known to have studied karate and we believe he has mastered the art of Unagi, the state of total awareness.”

The case got so much attention that Schwimmer himself responded with his own video to suggestions that he bears a strong resemblance to the alleged thief, making clear he was in the U.S. at the time of the crime.

Schwimmer's video showed him in a store in New York spoofing the original image by dressing up as the suspect and carrying his own crate.

Lancashire Police made clear the suspect wasn’t Schwimmer, stating: “Thank you to everyone for your speedy responses. We have investigated this matter thoroughly and have confirmed that David Schwimmer was in America on this date. We’re so sorry it has to be this way.”

But in its announcement that a suspect had been arrested Tuesday morning, the police took time to thank Schwimmer for his help in their inquiries.

“Following the appeal we posted looking for a man who resembles a well-known actor, we now have an update,” Lancashire Police wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to our colleagues @MetPoliceUK, a 36-year-old man was arrested in Southall last night on suspicion of theft. Thank you for the support, especially @DavidSchwimmer!”

It’s just not been the suspect’s day, his week, his month, or even his year.

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Jamie RossNews Correspondent

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