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A TikTok influencer named Marlena Velez, who is 22 years old, was arrested for allegedly stealing items. She reportedly used fake bar codes at the self-checkout to lower the prices of the items she was taking.
Written by Alexandra E. Petri
Authorities reported that a woman from Florida who is popular on TikTok was arrested for allegedly stealing around $500 worth of merchandise from Target. She had shared footage of her shopping trip on social media, where she has a large following.
In a news release, the Cape Coral Police Department stated that 22-year-old Marlena Velez used fake bar codes at a Target store in Cape Coral, Fla., to pay less for items she had stolen from the self-checkout.
Ms. Velez has a large following of over 360,000 people on the social media platform TikTok. She regularly shares content related to her everyday life with her followers
The Cape Coral Police department received a report about a theft at Target that happened on October 30th. The news release stated that security cameras at Target captured Ms. Velez using fake bar codes to take 16 items of household goods and clothing worth $500.32.
After posting a picture of Ms. Velez on social media and asking for leads, the police received an anonymous tip through Instagram. Ms. Velez was unidentified in the picture, wearing a tan shirt, tan pants, and glasses. The tipster gave the authorities her name, birthday, and Instagram handle.
Ms. Velez’s TikTok account was discovered by the agency, where she posted a video on Oct. 30 of her preparing to go to Target while wearing the same clothes as seen in Target’s security footage. She also filmed herself selecting items in the store and bringing them home.
Mercedes Phillips, a representative for the department, stated in a video on the department’s Facebook page that all details were recorded. The video seems to have been removed.
Ms. Velez was taken into custody and accused of committing one instance of petty theft, as stated in the press release.
According to Fast Company, Ms. Velez was let go after paying a $150 bail and was set to go to court on December 10th.
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