Stupid TikTok Influencer Arrested After Posting Herself Shoplifting And Showing Off Her Stolen Swag

Posted • December 21, 2024: A TikTok influencer who allegedly shoplifted about $500 worth of items from Target and posted her haul on the social media app, where she has more than 360,000 followers, has been arrested and charged with petty theft. Police said Marlena Velez, 22, stole the items by scanning false bar codes with cheaper prices on Oct. 30 at a Target in Cape Coral, Florida. The 16 items — household goods and clothing — were valued at $500.32, the Cape Coral Police Department said in a news release. Velez regularly posts content about her life as a mom of two on her TikTok account.

Police were called to the store last week for the theft that occurred on Oct. 30. The police department posted a photo of the suspect on its Facebook and Instagram accounts and asked the public’s help in identifying her. They received numerous phone calls from anonymous tipsters, one of whom was “personally known” to Velez and provided Velez’s name, date of birth and the names of her Instagram and TikTok accounts, according to a probable cause affidavit.