Marlena Velez, 23, has over 500,000 TikTok followers who tune into her page for lifestyle content such as the popular “shopping haul.” For the uninitiated, that simply means an influencer showing followers what they just bought during their latest shopping splurge. The only thing that makes Velez unique, however, is that she’s forming a habit of not paying whenever she goes to Target to get new things.
Velez was first arrested in Nov. 2024 after attempting a petty crime at Target, where she scanned $500 worth of items at a store in Cape Coral, Florida, using false barcodes with cheaper prices. She was caught on a security camera hurriedly trying to get the crime done in the least attention-grabbing way possible.
The Cape Coral Police Department later posted a video exposing how Velez ran her racket. She wasn’t just shoplifting — she was posting clips of the shoplifting on her TikTok, too. For her then 360,000 followers, she’d invite them to get ready with her, head to Target, and buy and then stock her “haul” in her trunk. What she didn’t invite them to, however, was the actual crime. The Police Department corrected that by posting her clip of the shoplifting on social media, and citizens quickly pointed them toward Velez.
And seemingly, just like how Kim Kardashian’s stunts somehow make her more popular — Valez came out of the controversy with renewed interest in her life. She gained more followers and even more curiosity about her hauls. One year later, Velez was back at it again. She posted her “get ready with me” video, got her two children ready for school, went to the sales-troubled Target, and violated her probation again by shoplifting.
This time, however, Velez tried to make a run for it. When police attempted to stop her at a traffic stop, she fled. She was caught two weeks later when she was stopped again — in the same car — the only difference being that this time she tried to lie down on the floorboard so that the cops couldn’t see her.
There are certainly worse crimes being committed in this world than a $500 shoplift. Velez was released again, and this time she’s back on TikTok posting her usual content of “getting ready with me,” though now the comment section is limited. The few users still allowed to comment are cheering her on for being such an unlikely source of entertainment.
@marlenavelezz Moms, does waking the kids up for school ever get easier? Asking for myself
♬ original sound – TIK TOK TUNES| #momlife #momtok #morningroutine #momvlog #sahm
For luddites, the cutthroat nature of social media influencing is puzzling at best. But like any other facet of life, influencers are judged by how much they appear to be something — whether there’s truth underneath that appearance is nobody’s concern.
As things stand, Velez is forming a habit, and the law is catching on. If this trend continues, she might soon be getting ready for another day in prison. And all those people cheering her on now will simply move on to the next train wreck social media has to offer. It’s up to her to change tracks before it’s too late.
