Welcome to Arrest Stories. A twenty-three-year-old TikTok influencer who gained notoriety for posting videos of her alleged shoplifting sprees has been arrested again after police found her hiding in the floorboard of a vehicle during a probation violation stop. Here's what may have happened.
Marlena Velez of Cape Coral found herself back in custody on September twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-four, following a dramatic encounter with law enforcement that began as a routine probation check. According to police reports, officers spotted Velez in a residential neighborhood and attempted a traffic stop, but she allegedly sped away at high speeds, leading to charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer.
The chase ended when Velez was eventually cornered, but the drama was far from over. When officers approached the vehicle, they discovered something unusual. "Suddenly, Marlena Velez is no longer in the passenger seat. So the officer asked where did she go? Where is she? And shines the flashlight in the backseat and finds Marlena Velez hiding in the floorboard in front of her child's car seat," officials stated.
This latest arrest stems from Velez's previous legal troubles involving alleged retail theft. In July twenty twenty-three, she was first arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart in Cape Coral. The case that brought her widespread attention involved allegations that she used fake barcodes at a Target self-checkout to steal sixteen items valued at five hundred dollars, plus additional household goods and clothing worth two hundred twenty-five dollars.
What made her case particularly notorious was her alleged decision to document the crimes on social media. Police say she recorded herself selecting items inside the store, posted haul videos of stolen merchandise on TikTok, and even wore the same outfit seen on Target's security footage while creating content.
Velez had pleaded no contest to theft charges in March twenty twenty-five and was serving probation when this latest incident occurred.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.