Atziri Valeria Márquez López,[2] commonly known as Valeria Márquez (14 February 2002 – 13 May 2025) was a Mexican model, businesswoman, and digital content creator.[3] She gained recognition on social media through her lifestyle-oriented posts and later established a beauty salon in the city of Zapopan, Jalisco. She was shot and killed while live streaming on TikTok in her beauty salon.[4]
Valeria Márquez | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 February 2002 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico |
| Died | 13 May 2025 (aged 23) Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico |
Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
Burial place | Parque Funeral Colonias[1] (in Zapopan) |
| Occupations | Influencer, model, businesswoman |
| Years active | 2021–2025 |
Career
editMárquez's modeling career began in 2018, at the age of 16,[5] when she was selected as a model for the Mexican clothing brand Vicio Vanidad. In 2021, she earned the title of "Miss Rostro".[6][7] Márquez participated in advertising-campaigns for brands such as the jewelry brand Golden Deluxe and the shapewear company Beauty Body Level, both based in Guadalajara.[8] Márquez began posting on social media in the late 2010s. Márquez also modeled for local campaigns and boutiques, solidifying her image as an influencer among youth audiences in western Mexico.[9] Her visual style combined modern aesthetics with traditional Mexican design elements, attracting the attention of various brands.[10] Márquez studied dentistry before embarking on her career in cosmetology.[11][12] In 2024, Márquez opened her own beauty salon in the municipality of Zapopan, Jalisco.[13][14]
Murder and investigation
editMárquez was shot dead on 13 May 2025, at the age of 23, at her beauty salon in Zapopan, while broadcasting live on TikTok.[6] She was held in her salon by an alleged delivery man (whose face was covered by a mask)[15] who shot her in the chest and head while streaming live.[16] Earlier during the livestream, Márquez expressed concern about her safety.[17] A few seconds after she was killed, Márquez's phone was taken and the live broadcast was stopped by an employee.[18][19] The Jalisco Prosecutor's Office stated that at the time of the crime, two men were present outside the beauty salon, who then fled.[20][21]
The autopsy confirmed Márquez died from the gunshot wounds,[22] and an investigation of alleged femicide were opened, as stated by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who also sent her condolences to Márquez's family.[18] On 16 May, the Jalisco prosecutor's office announced that it would summon Márquez's friends and family members as witnesses,[23][24] and the police stated they were investigating more than one suspect.[25][21] Soon after her death, tributes of flowers were placed outside Márquez's beauty salon.[26] Some time after her burial, her tomb was vandalized.[1][27] Márquez's Tiktok account was closed shortly after her killing.[15]
On June 18, 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned five senior members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) for drug trafficking and violence; Márquez's killing was noted as an example of Mexico’s ongoing femicide crisis. Among the cartel members sanctioned was Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, a suspect in the killing.[28][29]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 "Vandalizan la tumba de la 'influencer' Valeria Márquez, asesinada a tiros en pleno directo: "Ella no se merecía esto"". www.20minutos.es - Últimas Noticias (in Spanish). 25 May 2025. Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ↑ "Valeria Márquez: Esto es lo que se sabe de la influencer asesinada en vivo en TikTok". Dallas News (in Spanish). 16 May 2025.
- ↑ "Asesinan a tiros durante un directo de TikTok a la 'influencer' Valeria Márquez, de 23 años". 20minutos.es - Últimas Noticias (in Spanish). 14 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ "Mexican beauty influencer shot dead during TikTok live stream". The Guardian. 14 May 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ González, Elizabeth (15 May 2025). "Valeria Márquez participated in a beauty pageant before being murdered: this is what she looked like as a model". Univision. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- 1 2 "Valeria Marquez: Who was Mexican influencer killed live on TikTok?". BBC News. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ "Fue Miss Rostro 2021: así fue el paso de Valeria Márquez, víctima de feminicidio, en el mundo del modelaje". 12HD Super Channel (in Spanish). 15 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ↑ Baena, Mayte (15 May 2025). "¿En qué trabajaba Valeria Márquez. influencer asesinada en live?". Grupo Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ León, N. (20 May 2025). "Así era Valeria Márquez antes de convertirse en modelo". Excélsior (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ "Así fue como Valeria Márquez se hizo de un negocio lujoso a los 23 años, ¿era dinero de la maña?". EL GRÁFICO (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ ""¿En dónde encuentro un amor bueno?": Valeria Márquez soñaba con casarse y volver a la odontología". Milenio.com (in Spanish). 18 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Soñaba Valeria Márquez con ser odontóloga: "mi vocación"". Puente Libre (in Spanish). 19 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Así obtuvo Valeria Márquez el dinero para su salón de belleza". ViveUSA.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ Hira Humayun; Avery Schmitz; Veronica Calderon (14 May 2025). "TikTok beauty influencer shot dead during live stream in Mexico". CNN. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- 1 2 "TikTok Influencer in Mexico Is Shot Dead While Livestreaming". The New York Times. 14 May 2025. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Influencer shot dead during livestream voiced fear minutes before murder: 'Maybe they were going to kill me'". CBS. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream appeared to be killed by hit man: prosecutors". AP News. 15 May 2025. Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- 1 2 "Top security team investigating TikTok murder of Mexican beauty influencer, president says". Reuters. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Asesinato de la influencer Valeria Márquez: habló la abogada de Erika, la mujer que finalizó la transmisión en vivo de TikTok". Clarín (in Spanish). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Prosecutors confirm who killed Valeria Marquez, Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream". Marca.com. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- 1 2 "Nuevos detalles de la investigación del asesinato de Valeria Márquez: las cámaras captaron la fuga del presunto sicario y descubren a otro cómplice". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 22 May 2025. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ↑ "Con hermetismo, familiares y amigos despiden a Valeria Márquez en funeraria de Guadalajara". Milenio (in Spanish). 14 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Fiscalía de Jalisco entrevistará a amigas de influencer asesinada en Zapopan". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 16 May 2025. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Declaran Ante Fiscalía Personas Cercanas a Valeria Márquez, Creadora de Contenido Asesinada". Nmas.com (in Spanish). 22 May 2025. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Crimen de Valeria Márquez en México: autoridades dicen que hay más de un sospechoso y tres líneas de investigación". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 24 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ↑ "Un misterioso ramo con la palabra «Perdón» fue dejado en el salón de Valeria Márquez, tiktoker asesinada; autoridades investigan el posible vínculo". Quequi periodico (in Spanish). 20 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ "Supuesta tumba de Valeria Márquez fue vandalizada y fotos provocan indignación". Noticias Caracol (in Spanish). 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ↑ "US sanctions leadership of Mexico's Jalisco cartel". AP News. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ↑ "US cites murder of TikTok influencer in new Mexcian [sic] cartel sanctions". Reuters. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.