Orange County, FL, Firefighter Arrested for Throwing Tampons on Lawn of Ex-Boyfriend
Orange County Fire Rescue firefighter Gabrielle Franze, 28, was arrested on Friday by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly littering the lawn of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend with tampons in Deltona.
Franze was arrested on two counts of misdemeanor stalking charges, court records show.
During the early hours of Sept. 29, security-camera footage shows a dark pickup truck circling the Deltona home of Franze’s ex-boyfriend and a woman leaps out of the bed of the truck, tossing 75 stained red tampons into the yard, court records say.
Police reviewed license plate readers in the area at the time of the incident and discovered the dark-colored pick-up truck that was registered to Franze, records said.
Franze initially denied being involved and even knowing where her ex-boyfriend lived when police questioned her, records stated. But once presented with the evidence, she changed her story and said it was an idea from her mother and aunt, records show.
Franze admitted to police she bought the tampons and painted them red as if they were used, court records said.
She has been a firefighter with the Orange County Fire Rescue since 2019 and has been placed on leave with pay pending the outcome of a pre-determination hearing, according to an email from Nicole Griffin, a spokeswoman for the department.
“Orange County Fire Rescue is committed to a thorough review of the matter,” Griffin said.
Franze pleaded not guilty on Friday, court records show.
©2025 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.