Suspects With Face Tattoos Make Things Easy for Police

(Aug. 6) -- Tattoos aren't just body modification -- they're also a form of body identification. Just ask police.

Officers around the country have been able to lock up perps thanks to distinctive tattoos that are more helpful in identifying suspects than any other physical attribute.

Earlier this week, Donald Shaun Black, 30, pleaded guilty to a drug charge after North Carolina police nabbed him because of a distinctive University of North Carolina tattoo on his right cheek.

"It does make it easy when there is a specific identifying mark. It is very beneficial to us and to victims," said Gaston County police Capt. Joseph Ramey, who said his officers have locked up Black on numerous occasions.

This photo provided by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office shows Anthony Brandon Gonzales.

Pueblo County Sheriff's Office / AP

Police in Colorado didn't have a hard time locking up home-invasion suspect Anthony Brandon Gonzales, thanks to his distinctive upper-lip tattoo.

After a man told police he was mugged at gunpoint during a drug deal on April 28 by two assailants -- one of whom had the logo of a college hoops team inked on his face -- officers knew where to look.

"With these kinds of distinguishing marks, it gives us a good idea of who committed the crime," Ramey told AOL News. "As soon as we heard of the distinguishing facial mark, we said, 'Well, that's Mr. Black.' "

As part of a plea agreement, Black and his brother, Brendan Black, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell drugs. Related robbery charges were dropped, but Donald Shaun Black pleaded guilty to a count of malicious conduct for spitting in an officer's face and acting as if he were grabbing a gun when police tried to arrest him, according to the Gaston Gazette.

The brothers received suspended sentences and probation.

Black might be the latest suspect apprehended thanks to his tats, but he's certainly not the first.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office

Assault suspect Jesse Thornhill would have a hard time blending into a crowd. The 28-year-old body-modification enthusiast is accused of trying to run over his landlord in a minivan.

Earlier this year, police in Pueblo County, Colo., easily locked up a home-invasion suspect after the victim told officers one of the attackers had the words "East Side" tattooed across his upper lip. The suspect, 20-year-old Anthony Brandon Gonzales, also has the numeral 13 inked across his chin.

Assault suspect Jesse Thornhill also wasn't hard to identify. The 28-year-old Tulsa, Okla., resident -- who was accused of attempting to run over his landlord in a minivan last month -- has a number of unique body modifications, including designs and metal studs on his scalp, tribal-style eyebrow tattoos, multicolored neck tattoos and two surgically implanted horns that stick out of his forehead.

Though distinctive tattoos can make it easier for police to find suspects, there are times when a strange piece of ink can complicate matters for law enforcement.

"If you want to use someone in a lineup, you don't have six or eight or 10 people running around with those kinds of markings," Ramey said.