A Florida firefighter with Orange County Fire Rescue has been placed on paid leave and is facing two counts of misdemeanor stalking after she allegedly orchestrated a bizarre act of harassment, which involved dumping 75 red-stained tampons in her ex-boyfriend’s front yard.
Gabrielle Franze was arrested following an incident reported shortly after 10 p.m. on September 29 at her former boyfriend’s home in DeLand, where he now lives with a new girlfriend.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the current couple discovered the tampons—”stained red as if they were possibly used,” according to deputies—in their yard on the morning of September 30.
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Reviewing surveillance footage from the previous night, the couple observed a dark-colored pickup truck slowly driving past the house. The video allegedly showed a woman hopping out from the back of the truck, waiting for traffic to clear, and then throwing the items into the yard.
Both victims quickly identified Franze as the likely culprit, stating she had been demonstrating her displeasure with their relationship through social media posts and negative comments to mutual friends since the breakup.
Investigators noted that Franze owns a pickup truck matching the one in the video, and license plate readers confirmed her vehicle was in the area at the time of the incident.
When confronted by investigators, Franze initially denied knowing her former boyfriend’s address. However, according to the affidavit, she eventually changed her account, admitting to the act but claiming “it was not her idea.” She alleged that her mother and aunt, who were visiting from out-of-state, were involved in hatching the plan.
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Franze claimed the trio bought a large quantity of tampons and painted them red to simulate usage before driving to her ex-boyfriend’s residence and scattering them.
Deputies concluded that Franze’s actions “demonstrates a course of conduct” whose “sole purpose to harass” the victims “serves no legitimate purpose.”
Franze was arrested and transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where she has since bonded out. Her lawyer has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing there is insufficient evidence in the affidavit to support that a crime was committed.
Meanwhile, Franze has been placed on paid administrative leave by Orange County Fire Rescue as the department conducts an internal investigation, according WFTV.
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