‘The resemblance had us doing a double take’: California police release video of mail thief set to ’90s pop song, then reveal who they think he looks like

Police in Irvine, California, are asking for the public’s help in tracking down a package thief who bears an uncanny resemblance to Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean. The Irvine Police Department shared a video of the theft on Wednesday, admitting they had to do a double take when they first saw the suspect. They quickly clarified, however, that they are “pretty sure this isn’t AJ McLean from the @backstreetboys.”

The real AJ McLean has not been implicated in any crime. In the surveillance footage, the suspect is seen wearing a maroon t-shirt, black joggers, and a black backwards cap. He reportedly sneaked into a locked apartment mailroom at Spectrum by closely following an Amazon delivery driver.

According to the Independent, once inside, the thief grabbed multiple packages and walked out with them, all while the cameras captured the brazen act. Police are now asking anyone with information to come forward, as the resemblance to a famous pop star has drawn extra attention to the case and plenty of online chatter.

The police had fun with the boy band theme

To get more attention, the Irvine Police Department set the theft footage to the Backstreet Boys hit song Everybody. Their social media post included several references to the band’s songs. They wrote that instead of being larger than life, the suspect simply followed the delivery driver inside and “walked out with packages that weren’t his.”

The department continued the theme by saying, “Quit playin’ games with our mail. Backstreet’s back, but your packages shouldn’t be going with him.” They asked anyone with information about the suspect to contact them right away. California’s governor recently issued warnings about public safety concerns across the state.

Not everyone online agreed with the AJ McLean comparison. One user said the thief looked “more like Joey Fatone” from NSYNC and added they’d “take a BSB song any day for no reason at all.” Another person said the man looked more like a member of 98 Degrees. One person wrote: “that literally looks nothing like him LMFAOOO.”

Some reactions were harsh. One user said if police think the man looks like AJ McLean, they struggle “to believe they can positively ID any criminal.” Police are still asking the public to help identify the suspect. California Democrats have faced mixed reactions to various political developments in recent months. It’s not clear if any arrests have been made.