noun

a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed.

the car’s front nearside door had been smashed in but the culprits had fled

guilty party,offender,wrongdoer,person responsible,criminal,malefactor,lawbreaker,felon,delinquent,reprobate,evil-doer,transgressor,sinner,baddie,bad guy,wrong ‘un,crook,crim,malfeasant,misfeasor,infractor,miscreant