A TikTok star with over 360,000 followers was arrested and charged with petty theft after she allegedly stole over $500 worth of merchandise from Target and shared her loot on the social media platform.
According to the police, on October 30, Marlena Velez, 22, stole the items from a Target store in Cape Coral, Florida, by scanning fake bar codes with lower pricing.
The Cape Coral Police Department stated in a news release that the 16 pieces of clothes and household goods were worth $500.32. Velez frequently updates her TikTok channel with content about her life as a mother of two children.
Last Monday, police were called to the store in connection with the October 30 crime. The police department requested the public’s assistance in identifying the culprit after sharing a picture of her on Facebook and Instagram. According to a probable cause affidavit, they received multiple phone calls from anonymous tipsters, one of whom was directly acquainted with Velez and gave them her name, birthdate, and the names of her Instagram and TikTok accounts.
According to the affidavit, authorities were able to link Velez to the theft because to those public social media profiles.
Police said they found a video Velez posted on TikTok getting ready on the day of the theft, wearing the same outfit as the woman seen on Target s security video a tan shirt, tan pants and glasses. According to the authorities, Velez videotaped herself selecting the products in the store and bringing them home. The tipster also disclosed unusual information about Velez, such as the fact that she had two children and a tattoo of a zodiac sign on her left wrist that the police claimed matched the lady on the camera footage, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Mercedes Phillips, a department spokesman, stated in a video sent to the department’s Instagram account that everything was documented.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Velez told the arresting officer that she did not remember stealing from Target and that she verbally verified that she was the woman in the picture and the security footage after being given a picture of the woman.
According to the probable cause document, Velez is accused of saying “lesson learned” several times while he was incarcerated in Lee County. According to the affidavit, she allegedly replied that she could still have some of the stolen goods, such as some Christmas decorations, when the arresting officer questioned her whether she still had them while she was in the jail.
Phillips expressed gratitude to the community for assisting in Velez’s identification.
Velez was taken into custody and accused with petty theft on one count. According to court documents, she was freed on $150 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on December 10. She was not immediately reachable via her TikTok account or the phone number or email address provided.
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