A Florida mom who was arrested after she shared a TikTok haul of items that she’d allegedly stolen from Target, has been arrested for a second alleged theft from the same store.
On Saturday, Nov. 30, Marlena Velez, 22, was arrested by Cape Coral Police after officers were dispatched to the same Target she allegedly stole from on Wednesday, Nov. 21, according to a statement shared via Facebook.
Surveillance footage of the new incident shared by the authorities showed the dark-haired influencer using the self-checkout register to scan false barcodes. She had selected items including a rattan Christmas tree, festive ribbon and kid’s clothes, per the footage.
Police revealed the value of the allegedly stolen goods to be $225.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office shared this image of Velez.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office
“Officers recognized Marlena Velez from a prior arrest and were able to positively identify her,” the police statement added about the content creator — who has 415,000 followers on TikTok.
The authorities added that they knew it was Velez by the “wallpaper picture” on her phone as well as the “distinct/unique” tattoos of the man who was with her at the time.
Police also shared that they “responded to her address and placed her under arrest” before she was taken to the Lee County Jail on charges of Petit Theft.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office inmate records show that Velez posted $500 bond for her release on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 1, according to NBC News. Records list the court date for the most recent arrest as Dec. 10, the outlet added.
Velez bills herself as a mom vlogger and posts about home decor and fashion. In a September 2023 TikTok video, she spoke about her online income, claiming that just one video earns her the equivalent of what her boyfriend earns in a month.
“If I have any advice it’s just to keep posting. K posting anything and everything. Who cares if it gets 20 views just post it. Stop waiting for the ‘right time’ once you believe in yourself so will others,” she wrote in the caption.
Authorities said that while she was in jail after her first arrest, Valez was recorded on security cameras saying, “Lesson learned,” reported NBC News.
