Jennifer Lopez Look-Alike Shoplifter in Minnesota Goes Viral for Her Striking Resemblance To Legendary Pop Star

A Minnesota woman has gone viral online after her arrest mugshot prompted a wave of comparisons with award-winning singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. The photograph of Cyrena Anne Quast quickly attracted attention on social media, with users commenting on what they described as a striking resemblance between the 35-year-old and the pop icon.

Quast, 35, from St Cloud, Minnesota, was arrested in Monticello on 30 August on a theft charge, according to the Wright County Sheriff's Office. A criminal complaint obtained by The Watch MN reportedly alleges that Quast stole two double packs of power tool batteries from a store in Monticello. The batteries were valued at about $580 (£434).

A store employee reportedly recognised Quast from an alleged theft at the same shop two days earlier and contacted police.

According to the report, Quast admitted taking the battery packs. She was subsequently booked on a gross-misdemeanour theft charge, while the county's official arrest report lists the case simply as theft.

Mugshot Sparks J.Lo Comparisons

However, the arrest itself was soon overshadowed by the reaction to Quast's booking photograph. Quast's mugshot spread online after social-media users noticed she's actually a J.Lo look-alike.

'For a moment I thought it was jlo lmao,' one user wrote.

Another joked: 'There's a glitch in the matrix lol.'

A third commenter focused on the differences between the two women but said the similarity was still difficult to miss.

'If you look close their noses are different but DAMN I had to look extra close to find any differences lol,' the person wrote.

Another user took the comparison further and came up with an even wilder speculation, writing: 'Maybe a secret child? They're 22 years apart.'

There is no evidence of any family connection between Quast and Lopez, and the comments appear to have been based solely on the perceived similarity in the photograph.

Previous Encounters With Police

Quast was reportedly released the day after her arrest. However, the arrest appears to be part of a longer history of encounters with law enforcement.

Minnesota arrest records list several previous cases involving Quast. Records show arrests connected to theft, drug possession, fleeing police and providing a false name or identification.

A 2025 record lists Quast as having been arrested in Stearns County on charges including fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, theft and fifth-degree drug possession.

Records from 2023 also show cases involving theft, drug possession, fleeing police and providing a false name. One July 2023 entry lists four charges, including theft, fifth-degree controlled-substance possession, fleeing police in a motor vehicle and providing a false name.

Other records show theft-related arrests in 2024, including cases in Hennepin and Benton counties. The records do not by themselves establish convictions, and allegations remain subject to court proceedings.

The Wright County Sheriff's Office confirmed Quast's 30 August arrest in its weekly report, which listed her as being arrested in Monticello on a theft charge.

Lopez is an internationally recognised performer whose career has included music, acting, television and film. The comparison gave the Minnesota theft case an unexpected burst of attention online.