In a classic case of cat-and-mouse, an Irvine Police Department officer patrolling the Irvine Spectrum Center quickly turned the tables on a wallet thief last night—the pursuit ending after a footrace reminiscent of a cartoon caper. The crook, who pilfered a woman's wallet at a nearby Costco, made the ill-fated decision to go on a shopping spree at Nordstrom using the victim's credit card, according to the Irvine Police Department.

Sharp policing paired with modern fraud prevention methods allowed the officer, after discovering an active call about the theft which happened roughly a mile away, called the victim to alert her to watch for any suspicious credit card activity suddenly, mins after she reported her card was being used at the shopping center’s Nordstrom, as per the Irvine Police Department. The officer, likely not anticipating his shift would include a sprint, located the suspect laden with bags full of stolen merchandise and after a short disagreement the suspect dropped his haul and attempted to flee on foot to no avail.

The suspect's bid for escape was short-lived as the officer, aptly geared in his "track shoes," gave chase and quickly apprehended the would-be runner, and California's pursuit of justice ended with the suspect behind bars, serving as a stern warning against criminal endeavors in Irvine. The police jokingly ended their Facebook post with a reminder: "Please tell your friends #dontcommitcrimeinirvine."