Authorities have arrested a TikTok influencer with over one million followers after his social media stunts started to disrupt local businesses. His TikTok account is inaccessible at the time of writing.
According to a news release by the Tempe Police Department, the pranks were posted on the “Heston James” social media pages, and many went viral. The post explains that multiple businesses made reports between March and July. They allege that groups of men were coming into their stores dressed as employees. “These men began seriously disrupting their businesses by entering employee-only areas and refusing to leave when asked,” the report reads.
One man in the group was reportedly identified as their “leader” and instructed others to start working. The Police Department explains that the videos quickly amassed millions of views and “potentially generated large amounts of money.” Tempe Police also revealed some of the affected businesses, including Hyland Auto Repair, Big Brand Tire & Service, and Chipotle.
The TikTok Prankster Faces Multiple Charges
The Tempe Police Department reveals that detectives started linking several incidents together this month. They quickly discovered that Heston Cobb, who runs the Heston James accounts on social media, was the “leader” of the group behind the stunts.
Officers showed up at the prankster’s house on Wednesday, July 23. He faces five charges of Criminal Trespass and Disorderly Conduct and two counts of Criminal Impersonation. He also faces one count of third-degree Burglary.
The Tempe Police Department took to social media with their own version of one of the videos.
The post reads, “Tempe PD arrested influencer Heston Cobb after viral videos showed him impersonating employees and disrupting Tempe businesses. He now faces charges including burglary, impersonation, and trespassing.”
In the video, Heston is at a restaurant, harassing the staff and pretending to be a manager. He pulls out his phone and says, “bring in the guys.” Moments later, a large group of people wearing the restaurant outfits enters the building. They begin feigning to clean up the establishment while the manager can be heard saying “get out of my store.”
A report by AZ Family reveals a 911 call from the store as the prank was ongoing. They reportedly said, “We have people trying to invade our store right now posing as employees. They’re not leaving, and they’re literally touching everything.” Authorities reportedly told the outlet an investigation remains ongoing and they aren’t ruling out more arrests in the future.