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.
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