A Florida TikTok influencer has been arrested after flaunting stolen goods in her videos. Marlena Velez, 22, was charged with petty theft for allegedly shoplifting items worth over $500 from a Target store in Cape Coral on October 30, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.
Velez, who has more than 300,000 followers on TikTok, is accused of stealing 16 items, including household goods and clothing, valued at $500.32. The Cape Coral Police Department stated that Target’s loss prevention team alerted authorities to a shoplifter using a fake barcode at a self-checkout to scan items at reduced prices.
After reviewing security footage from the store, police shared an image of the suspect on their social media accounts. A tip from an anonymous caller, claiming to be one of Velez’s followers, led authorities to her Instagram account, which linked to her TikTok profile.
Policia🇺🇲 apresa a influencer latina marialena velez, por robar la mercancía de las tiendas y con los productos robados hacia sus videos de tik tok, “acompaña me a alistarme” la influencer qué tiene más de 300mil seguidores, sin saberlo se incrimino de los robos porque todas las… pic.twitter.com/E3n3f6UDDC
— Edwardacosta (@Edwarda77427936) November 24, 2024
According to Fox 4 Now, one of Marlena Velez’s TikTok videos featured her wearing the same outfit and glasses seen in the Target security footage. The now-deleted “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) video showed her documenting a shopping trip at Target and loading her “purchases” into her car.
“She essentially incriminated herself,” said Officer Riley Carter, spokesperson for the Cape Coral Police Department, in a statement to The Express Tribune.
“Social media provided us with an unexpected lead, which sped up her identification and subsequent arrest,” Carter added.
On Thursday, Velez was charged one count of petit theft for stealing goods between $100 and $750. Authorities also discovered her prior criminal record following her arrest.
