LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDKY) — A so-called "TikTok trickster" wanted in four states was arrested on Friday in Lexington, Kentucky, according to police.
According to Nexstar's WKRG in Mobile, Alabama, local police identified the man as 54-year-old Brenton Fillers. This was after a Spanish Fort, Alabama, woman told WKRG she was scammed by a "trickster" who told her his name was Jason Mitchell. Police later determined that the man she knew as Mitchell was actually Fillers.
Authorities told WKRG that Fillers was wanted in Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The woman, identified by WKRG as Tricia, said she met Fillers on TikTok, and they spent several days hanging out together. Tricia said he won her trust and even offered to house-sit for her. After she agreed, Tricia said he stole her car and she eventually lost contact with him.
“He kept texting me, telling me he had my car,” Tricia told WKRG. “And he only called me and wanted to surprise me by getting my oil changed and fill up my gas tank, then he said my car broke down and that he had to have it towed.”
She reported it missing to area police, who later discovered he was also known to Daphne, Alabama, police, according to WKRG. Then, both departments worked together to determine a timeline of events.
“Our suspect had come down from West Virginia with a lady that he was with," Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber said. "The story was that they were going to go from West Virginia to Texas. He had an IRS bill that he needed to pay, and so on the way, he said to stop in Daphne, it was overnight, a long trip. When they were in Daphne, they go to a hotel. All of a sudden, he leaves with her credit cards and takes the rental car and drops it off at Mobile Regional Airport. So what we figured out was, he went straight to the airport — acting like he flew in — texted our Spanish fort victim and said, 'Come pick me up.'"
Fillers was apprehended Friday at the University of Kentucky's Chandler Hospital in Lexington, according to university officials, after receiving reports of a man matching his description being sighted, according to Nexstar's WDKY.
UK officials further noted the “TikTok trickster” was known as such based on his reported history of defrauding people on social media.
“Today’s arrest demonstrates the importance of collaboration in law enforcement,” said UK Police Chief Joe Monroe. “We want to extend our thanks to the Somerset Police Department and the Baldwin County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office, who have assisted UK Police with the investigation.”
Fillers has been charged with:
- Aggravated sexual assault of a child in Texas
- Theft of property in Alabama
- Felony fraudulent use of a credit card in Arkansas
- Theft of a motor vehicle in Tennessee
Authorities said he may face additional charges in Kentucky.
WDKY has reached out to UK police for more information.
He will be transported and booked into the Fayette County Detention Center pending an extradition hearing.
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