Suspicious Moves of Influencer Who Posted 'Eomma-ui Haru' Video, Ultimately Caught by Police

US Influencer Arrested for Posting Stolen Items on SNS
Stole 16 Items from Mart, Posted as if Daily Life
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Past Theft Record Revealed... Trial Scheduled Next Month

American influencer Marlena Velez was caught after boasting about stolen items on her social networking service (SNS). Photo by New York Post

A famous American influencer with over 300,000 followers was caught after boasting about stealing items from a supermarket on her social media.

According to foreign media such as the New York Post and The Sun on the 25th (local time), Marlena Velez (22), who resides in Florida, USA, stole 16 items worth about $500, including clothing and household goods, from a large local supermarket on the 30th of last month. At the time, Velez used a method of scanning fake barcodes with cheaper prices instead of the original barcodes at the self-checkout. Upon learning of this, the store immediately reported it to the police, and the local police posted CCTV footage from the store on their social media account to identify the suspect.

However, a netizen who saw this footage recalled that Velez had recently posted a video on her SNS showing her loading items into her car after shopping at the supermarket. The appearance and clothing in the CCTV footage closely resembled Velez. Velez had titled the video "A Day as a Mom" and posted it as a leisurely daily routine. The netizen promptly reported to the police, saying, "I think Velez is the supermarket thief," and Velez was eventually caught.

American influencer Marlena Velez was caught after boasting about stolen items on her social networking service (SNS). Photo by New York Post

The local police station stated, "We obtained an unexpected clue about the suspect through social media. Thanks to this, we were able to confirm Velez's identity and shorten the time to arrest her," adding, "Velez made herself a criminal."

Netizens who heard the news left comments such as "It's creepy that she bragged about what she stole," "Videos posted on social media can't be trusted," "So that's what a day as a mom looks like," "She wouldn't have been caught if she hadn't bragged," and "I'm embarrassed for her."

Velez was arrested on theft charges on the 21st and was held in a local jail but was released after paying a $150 bail. She is scheduled to stand trial for theft charges on the 10th of next month.