Marlena Velez, a 22-year-old TikTok influencer with over 300,000 followers, was arrested on November 21 for shoplifting from a Target store in Cape Coral, Florida.
The arrest followed a theft incident on October 30, where Velez used a fake barcode to scan items at significantly lower prices, resulting in a $500.32 loss for the store.
The Cape Coral Police Department (CCPD) reported that Target's loss prevention team noticed discrepancies during checkout and alerted authorities. Security footage showed a woman matching Velez's description — a female aged 20 to 35, with long black hair, wearing tan clothing and glasses.
A breakthrough came when an anonymous follower recognized Velez and provided her Instagram handle to the police. Investigators soon found her TikTok account, where she had posted a video on the same day, wearing the exact outfit captured in the store's surveillance footage. "She essentially incriminated herself," said Officer Riley Carter from the CCPD. "Social media gave us an unexpected lead, which expedited her identification and subsequent arrest."
Velez has been charged with petty theft, a crime involving an item valued between $100 and $750, and was booked into Lee County jail. This arrest marks a troubling continuation of her criminal history. In 2019, at the age of 17, Velez was arrested for grand theft auto. A former high school friend, Amanda Santana, shared her experience, stating that Velez stole and crashed her car after earning her trust.
This was not the first time Velez was caught stealing. In July 2023, she was arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart in Cape Coral, where she under-rang items worth $63 at a self-checkout. After pleading no contest to the charges in April 2024, Velez completed an anti-theft course and served six months of probation.
Despite her probation ending last month, Velez allegedly committed another theft, which has now escalated her legal issues. “She’s been living recklessly, flaunting a lifestyle that doesn’t match her actions,” Santana commented.
The arrest has sparked broader debates about social media influencers and their accountability. Critics argue that influencers often project false personas online, shielding them from the consequences of their actions. “Influencers should face the same consequences as anyone else,” Officer Carter emphasized. "Their public image doesn’t exempt them from the law."
