A 22-year-old TikTok social media mogul with nearly 300,000 followers has been arrested after using a false barcode to steal from Target and filming himself preparing to be charged with the theft, police said.
The Cape Coral Police Department in Florida responded to the Target branch located at 1890 NE Pine Island Road in Cape Coral last Wednesday in reference to a previous retail theft that occurred on Oct. 30, according to a statement from the Cape Coral Police Department.
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“Loss Prevention at Target reported that on October 30, 2024, an unknown female entered the store and selected items listed for sale,” police said. “As soon as she got to the self-checkout area, the female suspect did not check the barcodes of these items, but scanned the fake barcode with cheap prices.”
In total, 16 different household items and clothing were stolen with a total retail value of $500.32, which was confirmed by officials through Target’s security cameras.
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IMAGE: A 22-year-old TikTok social media mogul with nearly 300,000 followers was arrested after using fake barcodes to steal from Target and filming himself preparing to be charged with the theft, police said. (Cape Coral Police Department)
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In an effort to help identify the suspect through the public’s help, the Cape Coral Police Department’s Facebook and Instagram accounts posted a photo of the woman, describing her as 20-35 years old, with long black hair, and wearing a tan. shirt, tan pants, and glasses.”
An unknown caller who saw the post on social media contacted the police and gave the suspect’s name as Marlena Velez and informed them of the news reports.
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“Police then found Marlena’s TikTok account, which records that she is getting ready on October 30, 2024, wearing clothes and glasses and going to Target,” police said. “Marlena writes by herself while picking up things from the store and putting them in her car after leaving the store. Marlena appears to be a content creator with approximately 300,000 followers. “
Velez has since been arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail and charged with petit larceny less than $750.
The investigation is ongoing.
Social media influencer arrested after filming himself preparing to rob shop using fake barcodes: Police first appeared on abcnews.go.com