A young woman from Florida, who’s also a popular social media influencer, has landed in hot water after being accused of shoplifting $500 worth of items from Target. The 22-year-old, known for her daily TikTok posts about her life and routines, was arrested after police say she essentially revealed herself in a TikTok video she made during the alleged theft.
According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the incident happened on October 30 at a Target store in Cape Coral, Florida. The woman reportedly used fake barcodes to pay less for 16 items she picked up at the self-checkout, including clothes and miscellaneous goods, totaling $500.32.
Here’s where it gets wild: just a few weeks after the theft, police received an anonymous tip when they shared a security camera image of the suspect on their social media. The tipster gave the woman’s name, birthday, and even her Instagram handle. That’s when officers discovered her TikTok account—and there it was, a video of her shopping at Target on the very day of the theft. To make matters worse for her, she was wearing the exact same outfit as the suspect in the security footage: tan pants, a tan shirt, and glasses.
By November 20, the police confirmed the shoplifting with Target’s loss prevention team and security footage. Soon after, they tracked her down and arrested her. She’s now facing a petty theft charge but has been released on bond. Her court date is set for December 10.
Interestingly, her TikTok fame seems to have grown despite—or maybe because of—the controversy. When the alleged incident happened, she had close to 300,000 followers. Now, she’s gained over 60,000 more, bringing her total to 360,000 followers as of late November.
It’s a strange tale of social media fame meeting real-life consequences, and all eyes will likely be on her as the case unfolds in court.