The police had been looking for the snatch thief for the past two weeks. Rupert was the snatch thief. (This is a question which tests students on synthesis of sentences.)

Where I live, the second sentence refers to the fact that Rupert was the snatch thief. I wonder whether native speakers interpret it that way.

I have joined above underlined sentences as follows and wonder which sentence is correctly joined? If neither, how should the sentences be joined? Thanks.

Rupert was the snatch thief, whom the police had been looking for the past two weeks.

Rupert, whom the police had been looking for for the past two weeks, was the snatch thief.

Last edited by Lionel Koh; 11/13/2013 8:15 AM.