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TikTok influencer arrested after allegedly showing off stolen Target goods in her videos
TikTok influencer Marlena Velez, 22, was charged with petit theft for stealing goods from Target
A Florida-based TikTok influencer was arrested after she showed off stolen goods in her videos. Marlena Velez has been charged with petty theft for shoplifting over $500 from her local Target store in Cape Coral on October 30, reported the Fort Myers News-Press.
TikTok influencer arrested after showing off stolen Target goods in her videos
The 22-year-old, who boasts over 300k followers on the video-sharing platform, allegedly stole 16 items, including household goods and clothes, valued at $500.32, according to the Cape Coral Police Department.
Velez was charged after the retail chain's loss prevention team notified the authorities about an alleged shoplifter who was caught scanning a fake barcode that listed lower prices for the items in their cart at a self-checkout register.
Once the officers reviewed and verified Target’s security footage, they shared a photo of the suspect, who was later identified as Velez, on the department’s social media account.
An anonymous caller, claiming to be one of her followers, notified the cops about her Instagram handle, which had a link to her TikTok account.
In one of the videos on the platform, the mother-of-two can be seen wearing the same outfit and glasses the suspect was wearing in the target security footage, according to Fox 4 Now.
The since-deleted GRWM (Get Ready With Me) video shows Velez documenting herself shopping at Target and loading her “purchases” into her car. “She essentially incriminated herself,” Cape Coral Police Department spokesperson Officer Riley Carter told The Express Tribune.
“Social media gave us an unexpected lead, which expedited her identification and subsequent arrest,” the spokesperson added.
On Thursday, Velez was charged with one count of petit theft of more than $100, less than $750. Following her arrest, the cops also learned about her past criminal history.
Back in 2019, a then-17-year-old Velez was arrested on grand theft auto charges for stealing her friend’s car and crashing it.
