Jaques Crenaire

Strange for any other city than Freedom, prison helped create one of the city’s most notable artists. L’Enfant Terrible, a French supercriminal, immigrated to the United States and became a nemesis of Hepcat, Lady Liberty, and other heroes in the late 1950s. His permanent child-like appearance and psychic powers masked a deeply disturbed personality, but Crenaire was eventually incarcerated for life after a series of murders in 1963. After more than a decade in prison, he discovered a talent for painting. Despite some public outcry, there have been showings of his work at galleries in Riverside since the mid-1980s. All proceeds from sales of his artwork go to a relief fund for his victims’ families.