Police arrest TikTok influencer after her followers help identify her as suspect shoplifting in a store in Cape Coral, Florida.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the woman was caught shoplifting at the local Target during self-checkout.

In stores in America and several other countries, shoppers can scan, check-in and pay for shopping items at a self-checkout station.

However, the influencer, who was unknown to Target and the police at the time, decided he did not want to pay full price for the items he selected.

“An unknown female entered the store and selected items listed for sale. Once at the self-checkout register, the female suspect did not scan the barcodes of the items, but instead scanned a fake barcode with cheaper prices. Sixteen items of miscellaneous household goods and clothing. were stolen” the police said in a statement.

Her shopping spree cost Target $500.32 (R9052.33) in lost stolen items. While she was busy recording content for her 300,000 followers, the store’s security cameras were doing some recording of their own.

Police released an image of the woman leaving the store with the stolen goods on October 30. A few weeks later, police identified her with the help of a social media user who recognized her in a video he shared on social media.

“An anonymous caller saw the social media post and gave a possible identification of the suspect as Marlena Velez. The anonymous caller also provided the police with Marlena’s Instagram handle.”

The police found all the evidence they needed in a video that Marlena shared.

“Officers then found Marlena’s TikTok account, which documents her getting ready on October 30, 2024, in the same outfit and glasses, and going to Target. Marlena records herself selecting items from the store and placing them in her car after exiting the store,” officials said.

Eventually, the police tracked her down and took her to jail. She faces a theft charge.

Social media users couldn’t believe that she willingly shared so much evidence that she had committed a crime.

“‘Get ready with me’ … to go to the Lee County Jail.” Oh wait, she probably left that part off TikTok… Being featured on CCPD IG is not the best way to grow your social media presence, lady,” one person wrote.

Another Instagram user said: “He wouldn’t have to steal if he had a real job.”

However, it seems that this is not the first time that the influencer has committed a serious crime. A woman claimed the suspect stole her daughter’s car in high school and “totaled it.”

“My daughter was devastated when it happened. But my daughter is now a nurse and this ‘influencer’ is a criminal.”

Yes!

Main image credit: iStock