November 25th 2024.
A popular TikToker from the US, who has amassed almost 300,000 followers, was recently arrested by the police for allegedly shoplifting merchandise worth US$500 from a Target store in Florida. Shockingly, she even filmed a portion of the incident and posted it on her TikTok account.
The Cape Coral Police Department received a call about a retail theft that had taken place at the Target on NE Pine Island Road last week. The store's Loss Prevention team reported that an unknown woman, later identified as 22-year-old Marlena Velez, had entered the store on October 30 and picked up various items from the shelves.
According to reports, Velez then proceeded to the self-checkout register, where she did not scan the items' barcodes. Instead, she scanned a fake barcode with lower prices, in an attempt to cheat the store. A total of sixteen items, including household goods and clothing, were stolen. The value of the stolen items was estimated to be US$500.32 after reviewing the store's security footage.
The surveillance video showed a woman with long black hair, wearing a tan shirt and pants, and glasses. The CCPD shared Velez's picture on their Facebook and Instagram pages, seeking the public's help in identifying her. In a twist of events, an anonymous caller provided Velez's Instagram handle after seeing the post on social media.
Further investigations led the officers to Velez's TikTok account, where they discovered a video posted on the same day as the theft. In the video, Velez can be seen wearing the same outfit and glasses as seen in the Target surveillance footage. She recorded herself picking out items from the store and placing them in her car after leaving the store.
Velez seems to be a content creator on social media, with a significant following of almost 300,000 on TikTok and 10,000 on Instagram. The CCPD located Velez and took her into custody, and she was later transported to the Lee County Jail. She is currently facing charges of petit theft for stealing items worth more than US$100, but less than US$750.
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