Ellis committed a string of petty thefts across three Detroit neighborhoods while livestreaming the entire spree on TikTok to approximately 2,400 viewers under the title ‘DAY IN THE LIFE (REAL).’ Over roughly 90 minutes he is accused of stealing a bicycle, shoplifting from two convenience stores, and removing a potted plant from a restaurant patio, all while holding his phone at arm’s length and narrating. Viewers reported the stream in real time, and officers located him using landmarks visible in his own broadcast. When officers approached, Ellis turned the camera toward them, said ‘oh we got company,’ and continued filming. As he was being handcuffed, he asked an officer to hold the phone up so he could ‘see if we hit 3K.’ Per the officer: ‘He was reading comments while I was reading him his rights. He said, somebody just sent a rose.’ The stream peaked at 2,900 concurrent viewers ‘approximately during the handcuffing.’ The potted plant was returned.