Two wannabe gangsters arrested after using Periscope to broadcast a bungled home invasion

THEY thought it wise to broadcast their crime on a live streaming app, but instead created a real-life gangster flick about the world’s dumbest criminals.

TWO guys from Sacramento have starred in a real-life gangster flick about the world’s dumbest criminals.

Damon Batson and Carlos Gonzalez were arrested after using the live streaming app Periscope to broadcast a bungled home invasion.

The two wannabe gangsters started a broadcast on the social media app and said they were going to “ride over there and see what we can do”.

Where were they headed exactly?

To the house of a gentleman who had been sleeping with one of their girlfriends, of course. The broadcast started to gain popularity as the duo allegedly detailed vague plans to hurt the man.

During the stream, Gonzalez could be seen brandishing a handgun as he told viewers he wouldn’t be able to show them everything, alluding to the potential violence that was about to ensue.

When they arrived at the apartment, the pair was shown knocking on the door as they tried to lure the victim outside.

“Stop being a scaredy. Open that door. Tell that f****g w***e to come out,” they could be heard saying.

Maybe they had watched Pulp Fiction one too many times?

After realising neither the man nor his girlfriend were at the apartment, the would-be standover men left on their merry way.

But, before finishing the broadcast, Gonzalez discharged the weapon from the moving vehicle to prove to the viewers it was authentic.

It was the perfect crime.

Well, this was until the Sacramento police were tipped off to the broadcast, which stays live on the service for 24 hours after being filmed.

After reviewing the footage and conducting a search warrant of his apartment, police arrested Gonzalez. His partner in crime was later booked while driving in the area and, when arrested, police searched his car and found the gun they believed was used in the Periscope.

Gonzalez was charged with suspicion of gross negligent discharge of a firearm and possession of a loaded gun in public, while Batson found himself in a little more hot water.

Not only was Batson charged with weapons violations, but he was also booked on suspicion of producing or cultivating marijuana or hashish, possession of marijuana or hashish for sale, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded gun and receiving stolen property.

The pair will face court at a later date.

As for their motivation to film the crime, criminal profiling expert Dr Claire Ferguson thinks it was just a lack of hindsight.

“People have been committing crimes and making mistakes leading to their capture for a very long time and it’s usually a case that being caught is the last thing on their minds,” she told news.com.au.

“If they sat down and made a spreadsheet weighing up the ways they might have been caught, I am sure live broadcasting would not have been high on the list of things to do.

“It’s possible they could have been trying to raise their street cred, although it’s not a very good approach.”

Ms Ferguson said criminals often harbour the misconception that police are not switched on enough to bring them to capture.

“Offenders don’t understand the general public help police with matters all the time,” she said.

“In this instance they probably assumed the police wouldn’t be monitoring the app, but they didn’t take into account people would bring it to their attention.”

And Ms Ferguson thinks it will continue to be a trend to use this type of technology to broadcast crimes.

“Criminals have been bragging about crimes forever and this is just another medium to do so,” she said.