Crime

‘Let This Be an Eye Opener’: Canadian Police Use Facebook Photo to Identify and Arrest Woman

  • Late last year, a woman allegedly was assaulted in a Toronto bar by another woman she described to have “brown hair” and “bangs.”
  • The accuser identified Lizz Aston as the assaulter based on her Facebook profile picture, which was found by scrolling through images of those who were “friends” with the bar on the social media site. 
  • On these grounds, Aston was accused and arrested for assault, even though Aston provided evidence she hadn’t been at the bar that night. 
  • The charges were dropped last month but Aston believes the accuser and police still think she was the culprit. 
  • Joe Warmington who investigated this piece cites abuse of power in the Toronto police system. 

A 28-year-old Canadian artist was recently accused of assault and arrested all because of her Facebook photo.

Toronto Woman Identified and Arrested for Assault Based on Facebook Profile Picture

Lizz Aston (Photo: LizzAston/Blogspot)

According to a story by Joe Warmington in the London Free Press, Lizz Aston, as an artist from Toronto, said she felt it was “outrageous” that the thumbnail of her Facebook photo was used in an pseudo-online suspect line-up where she was then identified, emailed by authorities and later arrested for assault. Aston said accuser scrolled down the list of people who were friends with the bar on Facebook and picked her out:

She said she received an e-mail in January from a Toronto Police officer in 14 Division “asking me to contact them about an incident that occurred at The Piston (on Bloor St. W., Nov. 19, 2011).”

When she called an officer told her “there was an altercation at the bar, two girls got in a fight and the girl who was assaulted has pointed you out as being her assaulter through a photo on Facebook.”

Aston was shocked.

“I checked back to see what I was doing the night in question (and) I was at an art opening half way across the city.”

[...]

She described it as “outrageous” that someone could “scroll down the friends list for the bar and point out someone that had brown hair and bangs” and that would be enough to enter someone into the justice system.

She had the text messages to prove her alibi — she was at a friend’s art opening and then spent the evening with her boyfriend.

This all went down on Jan. 7. Last week, March 27, the charges against Aston were dropped. But Warmington reports it still isn’t over:

I called media spokesman Const. Tony Vella, someone I highly respect, to check into this. He called Const. Kristal McCullough who, he said, told him that although the charges had been withdrawn, there had been a peace bond entered into by Aston to stay away from the complainants.

She must have been at the bar was the conclusion.

But Lizz was adamant “I did not agree to a peace bond” and after her lawyer presented “evidence” to show” I wasn’t even there,“ the Crown ”expressed it was unfortunate that I had to pay someone to do the work that the police should have done to begin with.”

Warmington reports Vella clarifying the mistake with an officer who said it was unintentional and still maintained that there were grounds for Aston’s arrest. Aston called these grounds “lazy,“ ”incompetent“ and ”very scary” police work.

Here the Sun News and Warmington discuss the implications of how this woman was identified and accused using social media:

Warmington reports Aston writing on her Facebook wall: “Please let this be an eye opener.“ Warmington said in the Sun News clip that he finds this abuse of power by the Toronto Police ”really upsetting in a free society.” While Warmington is fine with use of social media to help in some cases, he said that the evidence found there needs to be backed up.

[H/T Sun News]

Comments (76)

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  • lotus143
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 9:26am

    It would seem, over paid, union, ex-high school football losers, thugs are the same in police states all over the world.
    Greg Karkowsky Pittsburgh Pa.

    Report Post » lotus143  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:51am

    Surprised, I am not. Do you know where the name Facebook came from in the first place?????

    A “facebook” is what the police call the bound volumes of collected mugshots kept on file at the police station so that when a crime is committed with an eye witness, they can describe the offender in general terms, an officer can comb through the facebooks looking for all of the suspects that look similar, create a photo array and show it to the witness. If the witness recognizes one in particular, then they have a positive photo identification of their suspect.

    Sounds pretty much what they did here with the expedient of technology and the association of photos with the place of the crime, though I can’t say from the story how many photos the police used in their array shown to the victim.

    I knew from the get-go that this “social media site” would eventually be used for the same purpose as its crime-fighting namesake.

    Reason No. 4 for why I’ll never have a Facebook account.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • huufarted
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 9:13am

      Her ID or lack thereof would have been more certain had she posted pix of her breasts…

       
    • @leftfighter
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 9:46am

      This is something we’re just going to have to get used to, olks.

      As long as we’re putting open source intelligence about ourselves out there, people will be gathering it. We don’t have any expectation of privacy anymore, aytime we’re outside of our house- and soon even inside, once the TVs with the XBOX Kinnect technology imbedded in them start hitting the market.

      It’s a sad fact, but it’s a fact all the same. We’ve reached 1984. It just took us 30 years longer than predicted.

      Report Post » @leftfighter  
    • omgfolks
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:00pm

      Correct, if a person is dumb enough to have fallen for the Facebook frenzy they should not be complaining of lost privacy. The gave it away when they posted for all to see.

      Report Post »  
    • Rowgue
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:01pm

      Actually the name comes from the college orientation books that list all the incoming freshman. It was designed specifically to play off of that and take it to another level. I‘m sure it sounds more scary to tell people it’s modeled after police mugshot catalogs, but it’s simply not true.

      You have to be an idiot to use it though. It offers no service that can‘t be accomplished using methods that already existed and aren’t exposed for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to see.

      Report Post »  
    • PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:18am

      No facebook. Never liked the idea..won’t be buying the ipo. Don’t twitter…..and alas, even pulled out of freedomworks. paranoid or careful? Better safe than sorry! I am not charmed by where this computer age is going.

      Report Post » PIGSWILLNEVERFLY  
  • jeffreyjames
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:38am

    A perfect example of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. Emailing the accused in a non intimidating matter and then throwing the book at her. Unbelievable, the arresting officer was probably bragging to his colleagues on how he totally screwed an innocent person.

    Report Post » jeffreyjames  
  • TROONORTH
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:01am

    What do you expect from the police in a ‘socialist state’? Do you think that similar activities in Russian, Cuba and Hitler’s Germany are a coincidence? All socialist states use their police to control the public with threats and abuse of power. The ironic thing here is that this ‘artist’ probably votes for the Canadian New Democratic Party which is a group that is somewhere left of Stalin. Even the Canadian Conservative party is left of the American Democrats. And I know. I am a Canadian.

    Report Post » TROONORTH  
    • ginger100
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:36am

      Like

      Report Post » ginger100  
    • Mike Austin
      Posted on April 9, 2012 at 8:18am

      This is the way Socialists work(or don’t work) because the pay is the same. I work for the Gov’t so what I say must be the truth. Facts are only what I say they are. It is your job to prove otherwise.

      Report Post »  
  • AB5r
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 7:59am

    Too bad she didn’t tweet about the other event she was at that night, too bad she didn’t put the other event on facebook. With people posting their whole life on the internet they are now going to have to start posting alibis as well. And don’t forget about your cell phone tracking everywhere you go, does her cell phone show her at the other event, or did she give the cell phone to someone else to hold for her at the other event?

    Report Post » AB5r  
  • RugDog
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 7:23am

    Cops are idiots with badges and gun. That explains everything they do. Armed citizens do no need cops.

    Report Post » RugDog  
    • SoupSammich
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 7:31am

      And an ararchist should be spewing forth solid words to the wise? How does that work? Anything goes, but law and order, but…?

      Report Post »  
    • supermansdad
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 9:56am

      After 12 years in LEO and a life long conservative I can tell you that the majority of officers I have known are not thugs withs badges. Most of the thugs that do come into LE don’t last long unless they are in liberal bastions. Remember, police have no responsibility to protect an individual, only the society as a whole. In a perfect world there is no need for police, government or a standing military. We’re far from a perfect world.

      And anarchism will never be the anwer either. Anarchism is do onto others before they do unto you. We as a nation were not founded upon that principal.

      Report Post »  
  • burnteye86
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 6:27am

    When you post a photo or tag a photo in Facebook, you’re asked who is in this picture? When was this picture taken? Where was this picture taken? I can see the day when there is software developed that uses facial recognition technology and can then use all of that information plus the info on “Timeline”, and place people at crime scenes from as far away as 30 or 50 years ago.

    Report Post » burnteye86  
    • objectivetruth
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:36am

      Right.That would take into account frame ups from sixty years ago too wouldn’t it? Would this include military frameups government frame ups?Would it be used to prove the non provable simply because some self entitled twit wanted to steal the government or specific citizens blind?Would the people doing the frame up finally be caught?Seriously answer the questions.Inquiring minds want to know.

      Report Post »  
  • Karama
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:15am

    Oh and guess what….. They are using it to track down all the University of Kentucky fans who did stupid crap over the week end too. I guess you should have thought twice about lighting the couches on fire. Idiots.

    Report Post » Karama  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 11:58am

      its always a favorite when people rob something or otherwise commit a crime and post it on facebook. stupid is as stupid does I love it though (for entertainment value) it really weeds out the idiots in society

      Report Post »  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:55am

      Some idiot riding a bicycle in San Francisco hit an elderly man and knocked the pedestrian down the other day. The elderly man later died of his injuries. Guess what the “green” bicycle rider did….he posted his version of the incident on a blog with the last sentence saying, “I hope the guy is okay.” Notice the fact that he knew he hit the guy but he didn’t stop. If he’d stopped, it would be have been classified as an “accident”, but now, Mr. Green Genius, you committed a “hit and run” resulting in a fatality. I hope they throw the book at you.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
  • Gamaliel
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:42am

    Why do people plaster their personal info, including photos of their children, for everyone to have access to?

    Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:43am

      Well, some Lizz Ashtons are really… eh, a pix is a thousand words: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001151612539

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • Apple Bite
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:14am

      That’s Aston, not Ashton…

      Report Post » Apple Bite  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 4:48am

      Well, Aston or Ashton, itsa Lizz and admittedly, there’s something to her, just can’t put my finger on it..

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • jcldwl
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 5:30am

      They are called Sheople and will be the ones that blindly do what the government tells them to do.

      Report Post » jcldwl  
    • 22
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 6:41am

      That pic was …. disgusting! Let me examine it again…… yep… well…yeah, just disgusting!

      Report Post » 22  
    • Dolt
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 6:50am

      Not everyone willingly “plasters their personal info” on facebook. I bet there is a photo of you on facebook posted by a family member or friend who never asked you and never told you that they posted it, then they tagged you and now it’s on google forever. People don’t respect their own privacy, do you think they will respect yours? I fight daily to keep idiot family and friends from putting my own photo, words, or other personal info off of facebook.

      Report Post »  
    • objectivetruth
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:45am

      Not everyone plasters their very personal information willingly.Sometimes family friends do it.Sometimes nut job stalkers do it.Sometimes its in response to the same nut job stalkers.Hard to forge a crime when the alledged perp [actual victim]is accounted for every minute of every day.In this case of a jail with invisible bars the addition of facebook for accountability may be seen by some as a partial answer.It isn’t really but only serves to open you up to sociopaths.Most of which are worse than the one you may be dealing with.

      Report Post »  
    • oilcan
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:38pm

      That picture is disgusting. If she were my daughter, she’d be out of the will for posting that picture and even worse making it her profile picture. With the click of a mouse anyone can save that picture.

      Also for those that don‘t use Google and believe you’re not on their radar, think again. I work for a company that uses Google for their customer service software. You would be shocked by the data they enter into the system about their customers. There are fields to note their birthdays, anniversaries, names of their children and even their housing preferences. Most likely there are thousands of companies out there using software through Google and they’re collecting untold info about you.

      Any notion of privacy nowadays is nothing more than a mere pipe dream.

      Report Post »  
  • eric6161
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:18am

    I don’t understand the point of this story… Canada is quite similar to Cuba, China, and the former Soviet Union and some are surprised?

    Report Post »  
    • TheBurningTruth
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 5:28am

      Absolutely correct. For instance, there is NO freedom of speech guarantee in Canada. A member of a protected group (Blx, Eskimos, French, etc) can level charges of hate speech or speech intended to “hurt” another an viola the speaker (usually white) is off explain just what they said, even if they don’t know when or where the “event” happened. If goes to a commission and NOT a trial where the govt just wears you down emotionally and financially. Yep, great example of a “free society!”

      Report Post » TheBurningTruth  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:39pm

      1. Canadian Bill of Rights: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-12.3/page-1.html

      2. The HRC’s (Human Rights Commissions) power is in process of being dismantled. The original mandate was to assure equality for minorities on job market, but lefties hijacked it to enforce their PC code, arbitrarily. After this type of abuse has been widely publicized (Ezra Levant and his battle with HRC), steps have been taken on the federal an provincial levels. That‘ not to say all’s peachy, to dislodge entrenched busybodies of the left is no trifle matter.

      Canadian left is no different from American left, they tend to pull off the same crap. And eternal vigilance is as valid for Canada as for US.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • duhwut
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:17am

    C’mon you guys, this is Canaduh, not the U.S. They are socialist bastards, we are not like tha-

    ………….

    Report Post » duhwut  
    • Itsjusttim
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:26am

      Socialist “Bastards” is actually marked by having a number…a “Social Security” number. Huh, I guess you are a Socialist Bastard after-all, and a hypocrite gossiper too boot.

      Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • MrObvious
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:04am

      lol, we”re all socialist bstrds now :)
      CA is mostly like US except for the hate speech laws, and (at least for the time being) fully socialized medicine.
      O ya, and they’re actually allowed to go after their oil.

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 6:29am

      You can think about that when you are locked in a FEMA camp.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • Itsjusttim
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:56am

    You don’t actually think God is going to let you put the ability to read minds into practice for long do you, like the movie Minority Report?

    Report Post » Itsjusttim  
    • Itsjusttim
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:00am

      It’s one thing for you to read the minds of human beasts, but it another thing entirely when you think you are going to read the mind of a ‘Man.’ Because the moon will become blood-red.

      Report Post » Itsjusttim  
  • Itsjusttim
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:45am

    The internet is an interesting thing. I see people losing their social skills, losing the ability to relate on the human level person to person, and the while becoming more Socialist. It’s not going to pan out well for people when the world collapses some day, and it will because it always does.

    Report Post » Itsjusttim  
  • xyfbx
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:39am

    Putting a picture or other info about yourself on the internet is like putting it on a billboard or newspaper. It is public domain. Why shouldn’t the police use the info. Like the idiots that rioted in Vancouver last year posting pictures of themselves online damaging property, it becomes public domain and no warrant is required. Stupid is as stupid does and that includes police for assuming and not checking alibis.

    Report Post »  
    • objectivetruth
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 8:53am

      That isn’t the point.It has to do with how it was handled which is the point.I agree with you its in the public domain.This however is only one piece of the puzzle.Useable as it does give some background.It however shouldn’t have been relied apun to serve notice or indictment.Only to serve as a notice to the officer or detective to go further in depth.To do so without further background shows where a huge pitfall lies.What would stop someone from photoshopping cropping and inserting someone pic?While the police should investigate to make certain that this isn’t the case Can we rely on them to do so?

      Report Post »  
  • MeteoricLimbo
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:38am

    Just another brick in the tower…

    Report Post » MeteoricLimbo  
  • supermansdad
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:30am

    If you openly give access to something it will be used against you. Yearbooks, trash on the curb, facebook posts linked to other accounts, even this site, can be used easily and effectively.

    Report Post »  
    • ChiefGeorge
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:44am

      Once people figure out that they can falsely accuse via FB to lets say get back at an enemy, things will get very messy. I predict FB has maybe 1-2 years tops in existence.

      Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
    • supermansdad
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:54am

      The agency I work for has allready been flooded by threats from FB, twits, etc. It’s become insane! Luckily most of the threats originate outside our jurisdiction so we tell them to grow up and un-friend people, although some have used family as a go between to continue the attacks.

      That said, we have used it to ID gang members. It’s not a good idea to post a pic of you with a stolen gun.

      Report Post »  
    • objectivetruth
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 9:09am

      Its been my observation ,that if someone is determined without cause ,to obtain your info they will do so.The reason I say without cause, is that with cause ,you either know it or can obtain it fairly readily straight from the agencys that have custody of it.The methods the jack of azzs use include but aren’t limited to black bag jobs,forgery of custody,false claims of being a parent sibling wife husband sponsor representative,doctor,lawyer,judge,military police,regular police,homeland security.Furthermore they will do everything in their power to prevent you from finding out what they have done.[Not that it works to their advantage though in all cases]Its why they use those methods.Its used by terror cells thieves murderers and other assorted pieces of crap for all types of nefarious reasons.

      Report Post »  
  • Pro-Palin
    Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:28am

    2+2 = 4 cant tell me otherwhise big communist brother…../sister to …..

    Report Post » Pro-Palin  
  • Miami
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:31pm

    Slaves have commonly walked themselves right into the chains that bind them.

    Freedom is a rare occurrence in human history,

    Report Post » Miami  
  • IndyGuy
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:26pm

    I knew there was a reason I was staying away from Facebook…

    Report Post » IndyGuy  
    • Elena2010
      Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:51pm

      Ditto

      Report Post » Elena2010  
    • SpeckledPup
      Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:58pm

      ditto from this ENTIRE 100% American family

      Report Post »  
    • RepubliCorp
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:43am

      Facebook has become a tool of the government ……..I have never been to their site or any social site that wants personal info. Always had a feeling this would happen.

      Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • 408 CheyTac
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:55pm

    facebook will become the cage that captures those not smart enough to stay away from it.

    Report Post »  
    • objectivetruth
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 9:16am

      Yeah I.m worried it will be used as a frame up tool to set up those smart enough to stay far away from it I’ve never heard anything good about it.

      Report Post »  
  • DesdemonasCrew
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:52pm

    This is only the beginning.

    Report Post » DesdemonasCrew  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:51pm

    This attitude will be coming south of the border as the attitude of law enforcement seems to lay the burden of proof on the accused rather han innocent until PROVEN guilty.

    Report Post » Stoic one  
  • 408 CheyTac
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:49pm

    One nasty-asz woman. face like a baboon’s rump, and a brain the size of a grasshopper’s nuts

    Report Post »  
  • marine249
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:41pm

    If you are dunb enough to put your face on facebook
    you just as well put up a wanted poster of yourself

    Report Post »  
  • Operaman
    Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:38pm

    Is this the same Canadian criminal justice system that arrested a father who’s four year old drew a picture of daddy with a gun to shoot “aliens”? Way to let your country go completely down the tubes, Canada!

    Report Post »  
    • VanishingFreedom
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:23am

      How did they get ahead of us?

      Report Post » VanishingFreedom  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:14pm

      No. It’s just, some provinces are nuttier than others. It would be like saying that something that happens in Cali or Oregon is equally applicable to the entire US.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
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