Suspect arrested after using wanted poster as Facebook profile picture

The suspect had arrest warrants out for two other charges listed on his profile picture

Stuart Police Department/Facebook

A man who was the focus of a police search in Florida was rather easy to identify on social media, as he used the wanted poster from a previous allegation as his Facebook profile photo.

Police in Stuart – a coastal city 100 miles north of Miami – were on the hunt for 42-year-old Mack Yearwood, a suspect in a battery case, when they discovered the unusual photo choice.

“The patrol guys, to look where he was and for some intelligence, they went to his Facebook page,” Cpl Brian Bossio told ABC News. “They discovered that he use his wanted poster for his Facebook profile.”

Mr Yearwood had two outstanding warrants for two counts of battery in the state.

Police responded to the new battery call on Monday and arrested Mr Yearwood by Tuesday after the alleged victim supplied them with an address of where he was staying.

Investigators found Mr Yearwood at his brother’s house on Tuesday. According to the police report, the suspect was sleeping at the home when police arrived and asked an officer to hand him his trousers.

Violent Crime Rates in Florida | FindTheHome

“When he was putting his jeans on, a bag of weed fell out,” Mr Bossio said, which resulted in a cannabis possession charge. The incident report says Mr Yearwood asked officers to not charge him for the cannabis at the time of the arrest, but the request was in vain.

Police were quick to discourage future suspects of making similar decisions in a Wednesday post on the Stuart Police Department’s Facebook page.

“Facebook is a great way to communicate and connect with old friends and family,” Mr Bossio wrote. “If you are wanted by the police, it’s probably not a good idea to use the ‘Wanted of the Week’ poser of yourself as your profile pic.”

Mr Yearwood has not been charged with battery in connection with the arrest, as the investigation is ongoing.