A TikTok influencer in Arizona is now facing major legal trouble after posting a string of videos where he and his friends stormed local businesses.
In the clips — most of which have since been scrubbed from TikTok but are still floating around on other platforms — Heston Cobb, who goes by “Heston James” online, was seen entering stores with groups of people, dressed as employees, and pretending to work there.
Tempe Police listed Cobb’s age as 21 in their announcement, but Arizona court records for someone with the same name show a birthdate of May 2001, which would actually make him 24.
In other clips, Cobb is seen letting out loud screams inside various stores, only to act clueless when employees asked where the noise was coming from.
Tempe police revealed that the businesses targeted included Pep Boys, Hyland Auto Repair, Big Brand Tire & Service, Jiffy Lube, and Chipotle.
After receiving multiple complaints over several months, investigators traced the videos back to Cobb. He was arrested on Wednesday (July 23) and hit with several charges: Burglary in the Third Degree, Criminal Impersonation, Disorderly Conduct, and Criminal Trespass.
“These videos are definitely not pranks,” officer Jessica Ellis told AZFamily. “They’re crossing the line from fun and playful into criminal territory. They’re breaking laws by going into these businesses and impersonating employees. That’s actually a felony charge.”
David Hyland, owner of Hyland Auto, one of the businesses featured in Cobb’s videos, told the outlet, “Hopefully this will push Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms to really examine what people are posting.”
