In January 2026, an aspiring TikTok content creator’s attempt to turn an overnight stay inside a closed Walmart in Florida into viral fame ended in handcuffs after police tracked his live broadcast straight to his hiding spot in the pet aisle.
What began as an overnight challenge to gain social media followers and monetization turned into a criminal trespassing investigation.
In the police bodycam footage posted by @policeangles on Instagram, deputies with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office can be seen entering the store after being alerted that the TikTok stream was being operated from inside the shopping complex after working hours.
“I’m about to do an overnight challenge in Walmart because I’m homeless,” the creator who went live from an account named Danny Duncan on TikTok says during his live stream.
One responding officer appears to identify the man. “It’s a homeless dude that’s been in a couple of his videos recently. He ran from us as a mentally ill person. This is the kid that ran from us that one time,” he tells his fellow officer.
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Upon entering the closed retail store, they discover the streamer tucked directly inside a dog bed display in the pet care section.
The young man can be seen attempting to sleep while continuing to scroll through his phone before officers pulled him from the display and placed him in handcuffs.
“You understand why this is pretty stupid, right?” one officer confronts him. “Well, Walmart, a closed business, is not the place to sleep. You got family here?”
The man was identified as 18-year-old Isaac M. Hurley. He revealed that he has no family and that he snuck in because he has no place to sleep at night.
As police escorted the TikToker from the premises, he made another candid admission to the arresting officers. He admitted the entire overnight challenge was a desperate attempt to get some views and generate income online. “Well, I was just trying to get views so I could make some money,” he told officers.
According to the investigators, Hurley also tampered with store merchandise during his stay. He removed an iPhone charger from its retail packaging and was subsequently arrested and booked into the Charlotte County Jail on charges of burglary of an occupied structure and petit theft. Jail records indicate Hurley was later released after posting a $1,500 bond.
Sheriff Bill Prummell later criticized social media challenges in a statement.
“I’m not sure why people buy into these social media challenges when they are clearly encouraging you to violate the law,” he said. “From the ‘kicking in the front door’ challenge, to the destruction of public property thing a couple years ago, to now something as silly as this, young people especially are putting themselves in bad situations and paying the price for it.”
“Why aren’t any of these challenges aimed at making the world better? Imagine mobilizing an entire generation to do positive things—the impact that could have,” he said. “Instead, we are busy arresting people for making poor choices just to get views and likes. It’s a shame,” he added.
Most netizens in the comment section seemed to agree with him. Some, however, criticized the officer for not concentrating on actual violent crimes. “Poor and homeless with a cell phone. Shows priorities,” one Instagram user wrote. Another added, “I feel so much safer thank you for throwing this young man out back into the streets.”
“No longer homeless. Now he has 3 meals, a bed to sleep, and a place to shower,” read a third comment. “A closed business is technically trespassing, therefore breaking the law; idk why people don’t understand that,” added another commentator.
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.
