Who is Jason Sanderlin? Harry Styles look-alike's mugshot goes viral after he gets arrested for armed robbery
BLAIR COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: An armed robber became an online sensation overnight after his mugshot bore a strong resemblance to Harry Styles, leaving One Direction fans stunned. 21-year-old Jason Sanderlin drew attention on social media after his booking picture showed uncanny similarity to the singer and actor. However, the felon was given away by a large “33” tattooed on his forehead.
Also, court records have listed Sanderlin's height at 5 feet 4 inches — while Styles' height is 6 ft, according to WTAJ, which first reported on the resemblance. On January 21, Sanderlin allegedly ordered three people to get on the floor after kicking down the door of an apartment in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Court records alleged he attacked a woman and grabbed her breasts when she tried to resist being zip-tied. He reportedly robbed her of $400 in cash and a stash of marijuana.
Sanderlin's longtime girlfriend turned him in after identifying him from surveillance footage. According to WTAJ, he is also charged with helping her carry out an earlier robbery. According to The Sun, Sanderlin allegedly showed off the marijuana he stole and in a Snapchat video immediately after the robbery. He is now charged with felony counts of robbery, conspiracy, indecent assault, aggravated assault, and criminal trespass. He also faces misdemeanor counts that include false imprisonment, indecent assault, and terroristic threats.
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Sanderlin's case is reminiscent of ‘hot felon’ Jeremy Meeks, whose sexy mugshot thrust him into the spotlight. The former convict-turned-model has now carved a lucrative career path for himself owing to his high-profile relationships and new friends in Hollywood. Meeks now boasts a net worth of more than $5 million, lives in a lavish mansion, and drives a $160,000 supercar. In March last year, MEAWW reported how Meeks opened up about his childhood, his heroin-addicted mother, his convicted father, and his path to becoming a model following his stint in prison.
A former member of the Californian Crips gang, Meeks became famous after police uploaded his mugshot on Facebook which went viral because of his looks.Upon his release in March 2016, Meeks began his modeling career and made his runway debut at the New York Fashion Week in February 2017.
In an interview with businesswoman Chelsea Grayson for her 'What's Your Water' podcast/video series, Meeks spoke about being born in Washington in the '80s during the crack cocaine epidemic. He said, "Both of my parents were heroin addicts. I was a heroin baby," meaning that he was born dependant on heroin as his mother was using while she was pregnant with him. He continued, "Growing up in a heroin household is really hard. You have to grow up really fast, and feed for yourself, and bring something to the table so that everyone can eat".
Meeks revealed that having grown up and experienced crime, he believed he was susceptible to the gang life when he moved to Los Angeles from Washington State in the sixth grade. "At a really young age, I got put on to the hood, and from there, I moved out of the house at 15 and was in the streets," he explained to Grayson. Meeks said he spent 10-and-a-half years in jail and claims he was a target due to his mixed-race and his looks, saying, "For most light-skinned people, you're not Black enough and you're not White." But all's well that ends well. Outside the prison walls, Meek's dashing good looks bode well for him and changed his life for the better.