Social Media Influencer Marlena Velez Arrested: Viral Girl Making Videos with Stolen Goods, Police Take Action
Social Media Influencer Arrested: A social media influencer has been arrested after posting videos on the popular social media app TikTok with stolen items. The police were following up on a theft and fraud case when a viral video caught their attention, showing a content creator using stolen goods.
The alleged incident happened at a Target store in Cape Coral, Florida, where the influencer, 22-year-old Marlena Velez, was accused of stealing goods on October 30. According to police, Velez allegedly stole nearly 50,000 rupees worth of household items and clothing. The police claim she collected 16 items from the store, changed their barcodes at the self-checkout, and paid a lower price for high-value goods before leaving the store undetected.
BRILLIANT!👇🥴
— The Last Show- Karen Lee (@thelastshow) November 25, 2024
TikTok influencer arrested after allegedly flaunting shoplifted Target goods on video!#TikTok #Target #arrest #Perp 👉 #MarlenaVelez @nypost pic.twitter.com/wKTWXVwX1O
Three days later, Velez uploaded a TikTok video that was captioned "Day in the Life as a Mom." In it, she filmed gathering stolen items and loading them into her car. Within a day, the video was made viral. After posting a photo of the suspect, a tipster came to the police and revealed Velez as a social media influencer. She was arrested and later taken to Lee County Jail. Velez was given bail, but will appear in court.
This case makes people raise a question about the increasing number of influencers who are using their social media fame for personal gains at any cost, even if it is against the law.
