A Florida woman and TikTok influencer has been arrested after allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars worth of products from a Target store, Law & Crime reported. Though the scofflaw made it off the property, she was busted after showing off her haul on the social media platform.
Marlena Valez, 22, has been charged with one count of petit theft in excess of $100 but less than $750, which is a misdemeanor charge stemming from an Oct. 30 incident at a Target location in Cape Coral in southwest Florida. Loss prevention officers noticed Valez while she was in the store, but nothing appeared suspicious until she went to check out.
“Once at the self-checkout register, the female suspect did not scan the items’ barcodes, instead scanning a false barcode with cheaper prices,” Cape Coral’s police department explained in a statement. “Sixteen items of miscellaneous household goods and clothing were stolen. The total loss of the stolen items was valued at $500.32. Officers verified this with Target’s security cameras.”
Pictures of Valez were posted to social media, which led to a key tip. “An anonymous caller saw the post on social media and gave a possible identification for the suspect,” the statement explained. “The anonymous caller also provided officers with Marlena’s Instagram handle.”
Once equipped with the suspect’s social media information, they discovered an astonishing display on Valez’s TikTok profile. “Marlena documents herself picking out items inside the store and placing them in her car after exiting the store,” the statement continued. “Marlena appears to be a content creator with almost 300,000 followers.”
Police were able to identify Valez because she was wearing “the same outfit and glasses” in her TikTok videos as the suspect seen in Target’s surveillance footage. “She posted a video that day of herself going to Target, buying these items, and then taking them home with her,” Mercedes Simonds, Cape Coral’s Police Public Information Officer, reported. “Everything was documented.”
Valez was arrested on Nov. 21 and released several hours later on a cash bond of $150. She is due to appear in court on Dec. 10.
