A TikTok influencer who allegedly shoplifted about $500 worth of items from Target and posted the proceeds on the social media app where he has more than 360,000 followers has been arrested and charged with petty theft.
Police said Marlena Velez, 22, stole items from a Target in Cape Coral, Fla., on Oct. 30 by scanning fake barcodes that were cheaper.
The 16 items, including household goods and clothing, were valued at $500.32, the Cape Coral Police Department said in a news release. Velez regularly posts content about her life as a mother of two on her TikTok account.
Last week, police were called to a burglary that occurred on October 30th. Police posted photos of the suspect on their Facebook and Instagram accounts and asked the public for help identifying him. According to the probable cause affidavit, they received numerous calls from anonymous tipsters, one of whom was “personally acquainted” with Berreth and provided Berreth’s name, date of birth, Instagram and He allegedly provided his TikTok account name.
Those public social media pages helped police connect Berreth to the theft, according to the affidavit.
Police said Velez posted a video on TikTok on the day of the theft in which he prepared for the robbery by wearing the same clothes as the woman seen in the target’s security video: a tan shirt, tan pants, and glasses. Police said Velez recorded himself inside the store, selecting items and taking them home. According to the probable cause affidavit, the tipster also provided “unique details” about Berreth, including that Berreth has two children and has a tattoo of a constellation on his left wrist. Police said it matched that of the woman seen in the security footage.
“Everything was documented,” department spokeswoman Mercedes Phillips said in a video posted to her Instagram account.
Velez told the arresting officer that he had no recollection of stealing from Target, and after being shown a photo of the woman from the store’s security video, he “verbally confirmed” that the woman in the photos and video was him. The affidavit states that this is believed to have been caused by “confirming the incident.”
While in the Lee County Jail, Berreth allegedly said “I learned my lesson” multiple times, according to a probable cause affidavit. The officer who arrested her asked her in jail if she still had any of the stolen items, and said she still had some of the items, “including Christmas decorations,” the affidavit states. He is said to have replied that there might be.
Phillips thanked the community for helping identify Berreth.
Velez was arrested and charged with petty theft. She was released on $150 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 10, according to court records. She could not immediately be reached at a listed number or email address or through her TikTok account.
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