A TikTok influencer was arrested for shoplifting in Florida after posting a video showing her Target haul

Marlena Velez, 22, who goes by the TikTok handle @marlenavelezz, was arrested for shoplifting after broadcasting her haul of allegedly stolen Target goods in a video to her 350,000 followers. The influencer was charged with one count of petty theft in Florida.

According to Cape Coral Police, Velez stole $500.32 worth of household goods and clothing from a Target store in Cape Coral on October 30. She allegedly picked up 16 items throughout the store then scanned fake barcodes with cheaper prices at the self-checkout, authorities said.

After noticing her in action, Target employees passed an image of the woman onto the authorities. The police then posted the image to their social media accounts to seek the public’s help, where an anonymous tipster recognized her and directed police to the influencer’s profile.

Going to Velez’s TikTok page, the authorities made a surprising discovery: Velez had, in fact, posted a video on the day of the theft, titled “Day in the life as a mom,” where she can be seen in the same clothes at the same Target store. “Marlena documents herself picking out items inside the store and placing them in her car after exiting the store,” police said.

Although the video did not explicitly show or reveal the shoplifting itself, police were able to put the case together through the clothes she was wearing, the date the video was posted and even the items she “purchased” in the video. The Cape Coral Police Department posted a video to its own social media accounts including clips from Velez’s TikTok video, which has since been deleted.

Velez was arrested and charged with petty theft worth more than $100 but less than $750. She was released on a $150 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on December 10.


https://www.fastcompany.com/91235908/a-tiktok-influencer-was-arrested-for-shoplifting-in-florida-after-posting-a-video-showing-her-target-haul?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Établi 1mo | 26 nov. 2024 à 01:10:04


Connectez-vous pour ajouter un commentaire

Autres messages de ce groupe

Got an Apple computer for Christmas? Here are 6 apps and games to try with that new Mac

So you woke up on Christmas morning to a new Mac. Perhaps it’s the miraculous M4

28 déc. 2024 à 11:50:04 | Fast company - tech
How the H1-B visa is causing strife within Trump’s coalition

An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s suppo

27 déc. 2024 à 22:10:03 | Fast company - tech
People who visit adult or gambling websites double their risk of malware

Visiting adult and gambling websites doubles the risk of inadvertently installing malware onto work devices, according to a new study.

27 déc. 2024 à 12:40:06 | Fast company - tech
How to put down your phone in 2025

There are certain social media rules we can all agree on: Ghosting a conversation is impolite, and replying “k” to a text is the equivalent of a backhand slap (violent, wrong, and rude). But what

27 déc. 2024 à 12:40:05 | Fast company - tech
AI is helping students with disabilities. Schools worry about the risks

For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.”

The 14-year-old from

26 déc. 2024 à 20:30:05 | Fast company - tech
Cyberattack hits Japan Airlines, delaying flights for holiday travelers

Japan Airlines said it was hit by a cyberattack Thursday, causing delays to

26 déc. 2024 à 18:20:03 | Fast company - tech