Mexican Beauty Influencer Targeted During TikTok Live Stream — Authorities Investigate as Femicide

By Reuters in Mexico City
May 14, 2025

A tragic incident involving a young Mexican beauty influencer has sent shockwaves through social media and reignited concern over the country’s ongoing crisis of gender-based violence.

Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old social media personality known for her beauty and makeup content, lost her life on Tuesday following an attack that occurred while she was livestreaming from her workplace — a beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco. The Jalisco state prosecutor’s office confirmed the case is being investigated as a femicide, a gender-motivated act of violence resulting in the death of a woman or girl.

Authorities have yet to name a suspect, but the details surrounding the incident have raised alarm across Mexico and beyond. According to the prosecutor’s statement released Tuesday evening, an unidentified man entered the salon during Márquez’s live broadcast and carried out the attack. Moments before the incident, Márquez was seen on the stream holding a stuffed toy. She could be heard saying, “They’re coming,” before someone in the background asked, “Hey, Vale?” to which she responded, “Yes.” Shortly afterward, the sound was muted, and the stream abruptly ended.

A person appeared to pick up her phone as the broadcast continued briefly, their face briefly visible to her stunned audience before the video cut out.

Márquez had built a significant following online, with nearly 200,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram. Her content largely revolved around beauty tutorials, lifestyle vlogs, and personal reflections — making the violent nature of the incident all the more distressing for her audience.

In the same livestream, Márquez had mentioned that an unknown individual had previously visited the salon when she was not there and attempted to deliver an “expensive gift.” She expressed concern about the encounter and stated she had no intention of waiting for the person to return.

Jalisco, the state where the incident took place, ranks sixth among Mexico’s 32 federal entities in terms of violent incidents, with 906 recorded since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, according to data consultancy TResearch.

The broader issue of femicide continues to plague Mexico. The country is currently tied with Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia for the fourth-highest femicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 1.3 cases per 100,000 women in 2023, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Femicide in Mexico is defined by authorities as gender-based violence that results in the loss of life, and may include degrading treatment, prior relationships with the aggressor, or evidence of abuse. These cases often spark public outcry, though few lead to successful convictions due to systemic challenges.

Valeria Márquez’s case is now among a growing number of tragedies that underline the urgent need for improved protections for women in both public and digital spaces.

As investigators continue reviewing surveillance footage and examining digital evidence, supporters, friends, and followers of Márquez are mourning the loss of a young woman whose influence resonated far beyond her screen.