A mom vlogger has allegedly outed herself as a thief on her TikTok. The woman shared a video of her Target shopping haul, and upon further examination, it appears that she didn’t pay for the items. After the store called in the theft, her followers sold her out.
Now, the mom is facing the consequences of her actions. She has been arrested as a result of her video and may end up in court.
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The Target store called in the theft.
According to a statement released by the Cape Coral Police Department, employees at the Target store called police on November 20 to report a past theft. The loss prevention team at the store said the mom, identified as Marlena Velez, had committed the theft on October 30.
Her actions were definitely premeditated.
The statement continues, saying Velez went into the store and got items that were already listed as being on sale. After taking her items to the self-checkout, the mom didn’t scan the barcodes of the items she bought. Instead, she scanned a different barcode with cheaper prices. Ultimately, Velez stole an assortment of 16 home goods totaling $500.32 in value.
The case was cracked thanks to a random person.
The Cape Coral Police Department posted images of the mom on both its Facebook and Instagram accounts to try to identify her. In the images, she is seen wearing a tan shirt, tan pants, and glasses.
An anonymous person saw the post and reached out, suggesting to police that it could be Velez. Linking the post to her Instagram handle, they saw a video on her account that was of use to the authorities.
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The mom's own social media post is what got her arrested.
Using her Instagram account, police found Velez’s TikTok account. In the video, which was shared on October 30, she is seen getting ready wearing the same clothes as the store surveillance footage shows.
The mom can be seen picking up things like a gold Stanley cup, a mini cosmetics bag, and a milk and cookies set. The video then cuts to her loading her bags into the car. Of course, the video is no longer available.
There's no word yet on if she will have to go to court.
The mom has been charged with one count of petty theft. Velez has been released on bond, according to online court records reported by People. On November 26, she released a video on TikTok addressing the incident.
“Despite the unfortunate situation that’s unfolded, your continued love and support means everything to me. 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,” she wrote in the video’s caption.
“I also want to be clear that this doesn’t define who I am, and it doesn’t reflect the person I strive to be. I do believe that we all make mistakes, and it’s how we learn and grow from them that matters. I’m committed to doing better.”
