A popular TikTok influencer from Florida, known for her engaging lifestyle and fashion content, found herself in legal trouble over the weekend. Marlena Velez, a mother of two, was apprehended by police after an unusual attempt to evade capture by hiding in a parked SUV.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the 23-year-old was arrested on October 12. This arrest followed several weeks during which Velez had managed to avoid law enforcement. Her legal issues began with a probation violation and a fleeing charge related to an incident during a traffic stop in September.

The police narrative describes how officers identified a gray 2022 Kia Sorento, a vehicle associated with Velez, on the afternoon of the arrest. Initially seen in the passenger seat, Velez seemed to disappear from view shortly after the police approached.

It was only upon further inspection, aided by a flashlight, that officers discovered Velez attempting to conceal herself on the floorboard of the backseat, the department detailed in an official release.

Bodycam footage from the arrest captures the moment when the TikTok influencer was detained in Cape Coral, Florida, providing a stark reminder of the real-world consequences that can accompany an online persona.

Both she and the driver were detained as dispatch confirmed her active warrants. Velez now faces two counts of probation violation and one count of fleeing and eluding law enforcement. She remains in custody at the Lee County Jail without bond.

The arrest follows a Sept. 29 incident in which an officer attempted to pull Velez over after recognizing her driving through a residential neighborhood. Police say she sped away at high speed, forcing the officer to disengage the chase. That pursuit led to the additional fleeing charge added this week.

Investigators say Velez’s legal troubles began nearly a year ago, when she was accused of using fake barcodes at a Cape Coral Target to purchase items at reduced prices, thefts that police say were confirmed through security video and her own TikTok activity.

TikTok influencer Marlena Velez is shown in a booking photo after her Oct. 12, 2025 arrest in Cape Coral, Fla. (Cape Coral Police Department)

Officers identified Velez through a social media tip and later verified her identity by matching Instagram and TikTok posts from the same timeframe. Days later, she was arrested again at the same store for a nearly identical incident.

Despite the mounting charges, Velez continued posting to her account, @marlenavelezz, which has more than 528,000 followers and 11.8 million likes. Her content includes lifestyle clips, family vlogs and “get ready with me” routines, the same style of videos that once helped police identify her in the Target theft case.

TikTok influencer Marlena Velez is shown in a 2024 booking photo following her arrest in Cape Coral, Fla. (Cape Coral Police Department)

Velez is scheduled to appear in Lee County court later this month.