A TikTok influencer who went viral after filming herself shoplifting from Target has found herself in trouble with the law again for running from police while wanted for violating her probation, according to police.
Florida-based content creator Marlena Velez, who has more than 525,000 followers on the popular app, was wanted for violating her probation when Cape Coral police — who recognized her from a previous arrest — first spotted her on Sept. 29 behind the wheel of her gray Kia Sorento.
The 23-year-old sped away in a residential neighborhood and police decided not to pursue, Gulf Coast News Now reported.
She was then spotted again on Sunday in the front passenger seat of the same Kia Sorento, police said.
However, by the time the car was pulled over, Velez appeared to be gone, and the driver denied knowing where the TikTokker was.
Cops eventually found her trying to hide by lying on the floor in the back seat.
She was taken into custody and booked at the Lee County Jail for violating probation and eluding police. It’s not clear what she did to initially violate her probation.
The sticky-fingered internet star first made headlines last year after back-to-back arrests for stealing hundreds of dollars worth of items from the local Target.
Velez was arrested for petty theft for swiping 16 items from the Target valued $500 in Oct. 30, 2024 after she posted a video of herself picking out items inside the Target and placing them in her car afterward.
The since-deleted video led police right to her.
She was busted again less than a month later for allegedly using a phony barcode at the exact same store to scan items at the self-checkout, more household goods and clothing items valued at $225.
Velez pleaded no contest to petty theft earlier this year and was sentenced to a 20-day work program, two years of probation and banned from all Target stores, according to Gulf Coast News Now.
The TikTokker has a lengthy criminal history, including in 2019 when she was arrested at just 17 on grand theft auto charges for stealing her friend’s car and crashing it.
Velez was also arrested in July 2023 for shoplifting at a Walmart in Cape Coral.
Velez was still in custody as of Wednesday afternoon on a $2,500 bond, jail records show. She’s due to appear in court on Oct. 27.
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