Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old Mexican beauty influencer, was tragically killed while livestreaming on TikTok from her workplace, a beauty salon in the city of Zapopan, Jalisco.
Known for her makeup tutorials and fashion content, Marquez had built a loyal following of nearly 200,000 fans across TikTok and Instagram. But on what began as a normal day of content creation, horror unfolded in real time.
Earlier in the livestream, Marquez had mentioned that someone had recently visited the salon when she wasn’t there, leaving behind an “expensive gift.” She appeared uneasy about the mysterious gesture and indicated she wasn’t planning to stay to find out more.
Despite her concerns, Marquez continued the live broadcast. In the final moments before the attack, she was seen opening a small package containing a Piglet stuffed toy. Smiling, she cuddled the toy, casually tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.
Seconds later, she seemed to sense something was wrong. “They’re coming,” she said quietly. A voice in the background called out, “Hey, Vale?”, to which she responded, “Yes,” before muting the livestream.
Then, without warning, the horror unfolded on screen. Marquez was shot on camera and slumped over in her chair. Moments later, someone appeared, briefly picking up her phone and inadvertently showing their face before ending the livestream.
Police responded to the scene around 6:30 p.m. following an emergency call. Paramedics confirmed that Marquez had died from her injuries. According to the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office, she was shot by a male intruder inside the salon.
Just before her death, Marquez had uploaded a final photo to her social media, a mirror selfie at the salon, wearing the same pink top she was seen in during the live.
Authorities are now investigating the murder as a suspected femicide, the gender-based killing of a woman, a crime that continues to rise in Mexico. According to Vision of Humanity, femicide rates have grown significantly in the last decade, now representing over 24% of female homicides in the country.
Government figures reveal that there were 847 reported femicides in 2024 alone, with 162 more reported in just the first quarter of 2025.
Zapopan’s mayor, Juan José Frangie, confirmed that Marquez had not previously reported any threats or sought help from authorities.
As the investigation continues, no suspects have been officially named, and forensic experts remain on the case.
