Marlena Velez, a 22-year-old TikTok influencer with over 300,000 followers, was arrested on November 21 in Cape Coral, Florida, for shoplifting at a Target store. The arrest follows a theft incident that occurred on October 30, when Velez used a fake barcode to scan items at much lower prices, causing a loss of $500.32 for the store.
The theft was noticed by Target’s loss prevention team, who saw discrepancies during checkout and immediately alerted the authorities. After reviewing security footage, the police identified a woman who fit Velez's description: a female aged 20 to 35 with long black hair, glasses, and tan clothing.
The case took a surprising turn when an anonymous social media follower recognized Velez from the security footage and provided her Instagram handle to the police. Investigators quickly linked the Instagram account to Velez’s TikTok profile. On the same day as the theft, Velez had posted a video wearing the exact same outfit seen in the store’s surveillance footage. “She essentially incriminated herself,” said Officer Riley Carter of the Cape Coral Police Department. “Social media gave us an unexpected lead, which sped up her identification and arrest.”
Velez was charged with petty theft, a crime that involves stealing items valued between $100 and $750. She was booked into Lee County Jail following her arrest. This incident adds to a troubling pattern in Velez’s criminal history. In 2019, at the age of 17, she was arrested for grand theft auto after stealing and crashing a car belonging to her former high school friend, Amanda Santana, who recalled that Velez had earned her trust before betraying it.
Earlier this year, in July 2023, Velez was also arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart in Cape Coral, where she was caught under-ringing items worth $63 at a self-checkout. After pleading no contest to the charges in April 2024, she completed an anti-theft course and was placed on six months of probation. However, her probation ended only last month, and she allegedly committed another theft, compounding her legal troubles. “She’s been living recklessly, flaunting a lifestyle that doesn’t match her actions,” said Santana, reflecting on Velez’s ongoing pattern of criminal behavior.
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