Everything was documented.’ Florida lady allegedly steals at Target self-checkout using false barcodes and then posts about the haul on TikTok

According to Sunshine State police, a Florida lady was taken into custody this week after stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of products from Target and then sharing the theft on social media.

22-year-old Marlena Valez faces one count of misdemeanor petty theft exceeding $100 but under $750.

The incident happened on October 30 inside a Target store in Cape Coral, a big city in southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico.

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According to police, loss prevention staff saw the woman—later identified as Valez—entering the store and making what appeared to be a typical purchase. When it came time to make the payment, that supposedly changed.

According to a press statement from the Cape Coral Police Department, the female suspect scanned a fake barcode with lower prices at the self-checkout register rather than the actual barcodes of the merchandise. Sixteen items of clothing and other home items were taken. The total amount lost as a result of the theft was $500.32. Officers used Target’s security cameras to confirm this.

Law enforcement shared pictures of the suspected thief from the big box retailer’s CCTV footage on their Facebook and Instagram pages in an effort to identify her.

Police said the attempt yielded immediate effects.

The news release goes on to say that an anonymous caller who spotted the social media post provided a potential identify for the culprit. Officers were also given Marlena’s Instagram handle by the unidentified caller.

Then, authorities found a TikTok post by the defendant that purports to show her leaving Target with the allegedly stolen products, which they say was even more egregious than the first theft.

According to the press release, Marlena records herself selecting products within the store and loading them into her vehicle after leaving. Marlena has about 300,000 followers and seems to be a content generator.

Police said that Valez’s attire and eyewear in the TikTok video matched those of the woman in the Target security tape.

Mercedes Simonds, the public information officer for the Cape Coral Police, stated that she uploaded a video of herself visiting Target, purchasing these products, and then bringing them home. Everything was recorded.

Clips from a TikTok video seem to show the defendant shopping for kitchenware and a box of disposable diapers, which she then stuffs into the trunk of her car in a police department-produced video.

After being detained on Thursday, Valez was freed a few hours later after posting a $150 cash bond.

On December 10, she is expected to appear in court.

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