A Florida-based TikTok influencer was arrested after exhibiting off items she allegedly shoplifted from her native Goal in a video posted to her over 300K followers.
Marlena Velez, 22, is dealing with petty theft fees for allegedly stealing greater than $500 from the Goal retailer in Cape Coral on Oct. 30, based on the Fort Myers Information-Press.
The retail chain’s loss prevention workforce informed the Cape Coral police {that a} shoplifter was allegedly caught on safety digital camera at a self-checkout register, the place they scanned a faux barcode that listed decrease costs for the objects of their cart.
Police mentioned the suspect stole 16 objects, together with family items and garments, valued at $500.32.
Officers reviewed and verified Goal’s safety footage after which posted an image of the suspect on the division’s social media account in hopes the general public may determine her.
Velez, who posts movies about her life as a mother to 2 youngsters on TikTok, was then recognized because the shoplifter by an nameless caller claiming to be one in every of her followers, police mentioned.
The nameless caller additionally offered officers along with her Instagram deal with, which had a hyperlink to Velez’s TikTok account.
Her TikTok web page included a get-ready-with-me video from the day of the alleged shoplifting incident and confirmed her carrying the identical outfit and glasses the suspect was carrying within the goal safety footage, based on Fox 4 Now.
The since-deleted TikTok video additionally confirmed her documenting herself choosing out objects contained in the Goal and putting them in her automotive afterward.
“She primarily incriminated herself,” Cape Coral Police Division spokesperson Officer Riley Carter informed The Specific Tribune.
“Social media gave us an sudden lead, which expedited her identification and subsequent arrest.”
Velez was arrested on Thursday and charged with one rely of petit theft of greater than $100, lower than $750.
The TikTokker’s crime additionally dropped at gentle her prior felony historical past.
In 2019, Velez was arrested when she was simply 17 on grand theft auto fees for stealing her pal’s automotive and crashing it.
Velez’s former highschool pal, Amanda Santana, informed NBC 2 that after they had been associates attending Ida Baker Excessive College, Velez requested Santana to sit down in her automotive throughout class till lunchtime. Santana, trusting her good pal, handed her the keys.
Nonetheless, when Santana returned to the car parking zone, she mentioned her car and Velez had been nowhere to be discovered.
“I went to the car parking zone, and I’m trying round for my automotive, and I can’t discover it, so I really, like double-checked, regarded on each aspect, and I used to be like, the place is my automotive?” Santana informed the outlet Friday.
“We discovered that she went and crashed my automotive and totaled it right into a ditch at a Dunkin’ on Cape Coral Parkway.”
Santana claims Velez by no means paid for any of the damages.
“It’s like she by no means felt regret,” she informed the outlet.
Velez was additionally arrested in July 2023 for shoplifting at a Walmart in Cape Coral.
A report from the shop mentioned she under-ringed objects “by scanning one merchandise, then putting one other merchandise beneath the scanned merchandise,” based on NBC 2.
Velez stole $63 in kitchen objects, pleaded no contest to the costs final April, and was sentenced to finish an anti-theft course and serve six months of probation — which ended final month.
“She’s been residing recklessly, flaunting a life-style that doesn’t match her actions,” Santana mentioned.
Following her most up-to-date arrest, the Cape Coral Police Division mentioned Velez’s social media following won’t protect her from dealing with penalties for her actions if discovered responsible.
“Influencers ought to face the identical penalties as anybody else,” Carter informed The Specific Tribune.
“Their public picture doesn’t exempt them from the legislation.”
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