A Florida firefighter has been charged after allegedly dumping 75 tampons—some appearing to be “possibly used”—on her ex-boyfriend’s lawn after finding out he was dating a new woman.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Gabrielle Franze, a firefighter with Orange County Fire Rescue, faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking following the unusual incident in DeLand, Florida.
Authorities said the new girlfriend called deputies on September 30, after she and her boyfriend woke up to find dozens of tampons scattered across their front yard, “stained red as if they were possibly used.”
Security footage from the night before, around 10 p.m. on September 29, reportedly showed a dark-colored pickup truck slowly passing by the home. A woman sitting in the truck bed can be seen waiting for traffic to clear before jumping out and tossing the tampons across the lawn, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime.
Both the man and his new girlfriend told investigators they believed the culprit was Franze, saying she had been upset about her ex moving on and had made social media posts “talking badly about them and the fact they are now together.”
When deputies went to Franze’s home, she initially denied knowing where her ex lived. However, after being confronted with video and vehicle evidence—including license plate reader data showing her truck in the area—Franze reportedly changed her story.
She allegedly admitted to being involved but claimed “it was not her idea,” blaming her mother and aunt, who were visiting from out of state. The affidavit states the three women purchased tampons, painted them red to make them appear used, and drove to the ex-boyfriend’s house to dump them on the lawn.
Investigators concluded that the act was carried out with “the sole purpose to harass” and “serves no legitimate purpose.”
Franze was arrested and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail, later posting bond. She has since been placed on administrative leave by Orange County Fire Rescue while the department conducts its own internal investigation.
Her attorney has reportedly filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the affidavit does not contain sufficient evidence of a crime.
