Woman arrested based on Facebook photo: negligent investigation?

If reported correctly this is sloppy police work.

Photographic identifications, especially of strangers seen on just one occasion, are famously unreliable.

ID from a Facebook page is preposterous -- the Officer should have taken some steps to corroborate who was the alleged criminal:

http://www.thestar.com/mobile/NEWS/article/1156811
 
"Aston, a 28-year-old artist, was charged two months later based solely on a Facebook photo and a generic description offered to police by the victim's boyfriend.

Aston laughs when questioned about the charge, withdrawn by the Crown on March 27.

"I've never even been in a fight," she says with a smile. "A friend of mine said that, 'Even when Lizz gets angry she gets cuter.' "

The smile soon fades as Aston discusses the allegations, which prompted a court appearance and several thousand dollars in legal bills.

The Nov. 19 incident at The Piston began when four couples were involved in a dispute over a coat. Several blows were struck.

Aston said she knew nothing of this at the time.

On Jan. 5, after returning from a visit to Cuba with her boyfriend, Aston received an email from an officer pointing out that the victim identified her as the woman who struck her.

The victim tracked down Aston's Facebook photo because both had mutual friends on the bar's Facebook page.

"They said that they were looking for someone with brown hair and bangs," Aston said.

Police asked Aston to come in to speak with officers and she did so two days later. She was read her rights, finger-printed and processed.

Police took away a bobby pin and scarf, she said.

Aston said she tried to show police text messages proving she was at an art opening for a friend on the date in question, but the officer didn't seem interested in that information."