Tempe Police arrest 21-year-old influencer accused of disrupting local businesses with pranks

PHOENIX — The Tempe Police Department arrested a social media influencer at his home on Wednesday.

Heston Cobb was allegedly involved in viral pranks that disrupted several local businesses, police said.

Cobb was booked for one count of burglary, two counts of criminal impersonation, five counts of disorderly conduct and five counts of criminal trespass.

Why was social media prankster arrested in Tempe?

Cobb brought groups of men dressed as employees into various stores, entering staff-only areas and refusing to leave when asked, police said.

Videos shared by Tempe Police showed a man they identify as Cobb directing the group of men to begin “working.”

One video targeting a Chipotle shows Cobb telling a group of men dressed in employee uniforms to clean, police said. The men started rubbing napkins and a mop over tables while customers ate nearby — despite employees telling them to leave and calling police.

Police said Cobb and his friends disrupted various businesses in Tempe, including Jiffy Lube, Pep Boys, Hyland Auto Repair and Big Brand Tire & Service.

They filmed these disruptions, posting them to social media pages with the branding “Heston James,” police said.

Earlier this year, another social media prankster was indicted after being accused of poisoning food at a Mesa Walmart.

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