A TikTok influencer is being accused of stealing over $200 worth of items from a Target in Florida for the second time after recording herself during her first offense.
Officials with the Cape Coral Police Department (CCPD) responded to a call on Saturday about a retail theft at the major retail store, the CCPD said in an Instagram post. The alleged theft took place on Nov. 20. Officials said Marlena Velez, 22, entered the Target and shopped for items before using the self-checkout register where she scanned a fake barcode for some items, according to police.
Officials released security camera footage appearing to show Velez holding baby clothes in one hand and scanning a separate barcode tag at the register with the other.
“She scans a cheaper barcode but never the higher priced item,” police allege in the video.
Velez allegedly stole 16 miscellaneous items worth $225, including clothes and household goods. She was accompanied by an adult male and two children at the time of the incident, the footage appears to show. (RELATED: Video Shows Bystanders Trapping Alleged Shoplifters Inside Retail Store)
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“Officers recognized Marlena Velez from a prior arrest and were able to positively identify her,” the CCPD post read. Officials also allegedly identified her from seeing the wallpaper in her phone while reviewing security cam footage, claiming it was a picture posted on Velez’s account on Instagram.
Officers went to her residence and arrested and booked her on a petit theft charge on Saturday, police said. Inmate records show she was released the following day.
This is not the first time Velez allegedly stole products from this Target location, police said. Velez was accused of stealing items valued at $500 on Oct. 30, according to a CCPD Facebook Post.
An anonymous individual gave police a potential identity of Velez as the suspect, as well as her Instagram handle, according to the CCPD. That led officers to the 22-year-old’s TikTok account, police said.
One of her videos showed “her getting ready on October 30, 2024, in the same outfit and glasses and going to Target. Marlena documents herself picking out items inside the store and placing them in her car after exiting the store,” the press release said. Authorities later arrested Velez on Nov. 20 and charged her with petit theft.
“We’ve actually seen 100,000 followers grow with her tik-tok since we released the theft investigation,” CCPD Public Information Officer Mercedes Simonds told Fox4.
“While there will be a time to discuss my wrongings, now is not that moment and it doesn’t mean I don’t want to speak on it or take accountability for my actions, it means everything is still being dealt with in court so I just ask to please respect that,” Velez said in a video posted to her account, according to the outlet.
Velez’s TikTok account has been made private. It has over 420 thousand followers as of the time of publication.
