Heston James: What Got the TikToker 9 Years of Trouble?

Heston James, who is known on TikTok for doing public pranks that some consider dangerous, has been arrested after he received many complaints from Arizona business owners. Off camera, he is known as Heston Cobb. The 21-year-old social media star was arrested at his home in Tempe on July 23 after a police investigation determined he was associated with several disruptive incidents in and around Tempe.

Cobb has more than 1.6 million followers on TikTok and built a following on the platform by producing prank videos in which he frequently showed himself as an employee at real businesses. Some of his followers thought his content was funny, but the law enforcement agencies—and the people he filmed—saw something much more serious.

What Happened: From Viral Fame to Criminal Charges

Cobb's prank videos went viral on the internet, but they also caused disruption at several businesses that became unwitting backdrops for his content. Over a series of months, from March to July 2025, Cobb and a group of accomplices came through five Tempe businesses while claiming to be employees or corporate staff. 

Some of the incidents included: 

• Pep Boys Auto: Cobb walked into the service area in a mechanics uniform and began looking at cars, causing confusion for employees and customers alike. 
• Hyland Auto Repair: The group crawled under customers’ cars claiming to check the oil as part of their prank. 
• Jiffy Lube: Cobb entered the restricted service area and walked around after ignoring employee instructions. 
• Chipotle Restaurant: He and his group came in posing as a cleaning crew, collected cleaning supplies, and simply refused to leave when confronted. 
• Big Brand Tire & Service: Staff reported Cobb filming inside the garage and causing a scene in front of real customers. 

In each of the cases, Cobb's group was recording for TikTok without permission from the businesses.

Heston James is pure comedy gold man 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/vcGA0H9WBe

— Ghost of WS (@BillsMafiaWS) April 5, 2025

Police Response: This Was Not Innocent Fun

The Tempe Police Department began an inquiry after numerous reports were made by the businesses affected by Cobb’s behavior. Authorities noted Cobb was not just disruptive, but unlawful.

"These videos obviously are not just prank videos. They're illegal," Tempe Police spokesperson Jessica Ells noted.
"They're going into these businesses and impersonating the staff. That’s actually a felony charge."

Police noted Cobb broke physical barriers by entering restricted spaces, as well as illegally impersonating staff members and creating disturbances.

🚨 Pranks have consequences.

Tempe PD arrested influencer Heston Cobb after viral videos showed him impersonating employees and disrupting Tempe businesses.

He now faces charges including burglary, impersonation, and trespassing.

Read more: https://t.co/YHnnYr8LPH pic.twitter.com/qRSofAdq9o

— Tempe Police Department (@TempePolice) July 25, 2025

Criminal Charges and What They Mean

Heston Cobb now has multiple charges filed against him pursuant to Arizona law. He has been officially charged with:

• 1 count of third-degree burglary 
• 2 counts of criminal impersonation 
• 5 counts of criminal trespass 
• 5 counts of disorderly conduct 

If he is convicted on all charges, he faces a potential maximum time of 9 years and 8 months in prison and considerable fines.

Tempe Police also advised that other people that were involved in the videos may be charged, as the investigation is still ongoing.

Why Companies Are Speaking Out

For most of those businesses affected, Cobb's pranks were apparently not funny at all. Employees were concerned, customers were perplexed, and businesses had their operations disrupted on a day-to-day basis. Some businesses had to shut down completely, or even call law enforcement, thinking that the intrusions might be more than a joke.

One auto repair manager explained:

"They arrived with the appearance as if they were employees, crawled under cars of customers, and refused to leave. We don't find that cute - that's reckless."

Another employee at Chipotle was scared that it may be a robbery, because Cobb's team stole cleaning supplies, and started running around like they were in charge.

Karen CRASHES OUT on Heston James and TFUE after they did a SCREAMING prank in the store 💀💀😭 pic.twitter.com/8cHifDdDKO

— Killa 🌺 (@KillaKreww) May 22, 2025

There were real-world repercussions to these situations:

• Loss of business and productivity
• Staff emotional turmoil
• Safety worries from customers
• Possibility of lawsuits or liability issues for the business owners

Expanding the Conversation: Are Social Platforms Doing Their Part?

The case has raised issues related to the responsibilities of social media companies like TikTok in terms of fostering or abdicating responsibility for harmful content for the sake of "engagement." Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch Cobb's videos, but they also uncovered a gap in the accountability of content creators' transparency and disclosures.

Experts say this trend is symptomatic more broadly of influencers pushing limits for online fame. Given the social media platforms support virality, they may not take into consideration the legal and ethical implications of their actions.

What’s Next for Heston James?

After his arrest, Cobb's social media pages have all been taken down or disabled. He is currently still in custody, but will soon be transferred to court for a preliminary hearing.

Police are looking at more video and possibly new charges. Police have also reached out to any businesses or people affected by Cobb's content to come forward.

Source(Image / Thumbnail): sportskeeda