Gabrielle Franze (Volusia County Jail).
A Florida firefighter finds herself under fire after she allegedly dumped 75 red-stained tampons in her ex-boyfriend”s front yard.
Gabrielle Franze, a firefighter with Orange County Fire Rescue, stands accused of two counts of misdemeanor stalking. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the new girlfriend flagged down deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office about the incident, which allegedly occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on Sept. 29 at their home in DeLand. The girlfriend and the homeowner were dating and lived together after he and Franze broke up, the affidavit said.
They came outside on Sept. 30 and found the tampons, which were “stained red as if they were possibly used,” cops wrote. They reviewed video footage from the night before which showed a dark-colored pickup truck slowly driving past the house. The affidavit said it appeared the truck waited for traffic to clear and a woman who was sitting on the back of the truck walked hopped out and is seen throwing the tampons into the yard.
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Asked who they thought would commit such an act, both said they believed it was Franze who was “demonstrating she was unhappy” her former boyfriend was dating someone else, according to cops. She posted messages on social media voicing her displeasure and was “talking badly about them and the fact they are now together” to mutual friends, the affidavit said.
Franze has a pickup truck similar to the one seen on the video and also carries dog kennels that were apparently covered during the alleged crime. License plate readers also showed that the truck was in the area at the time, cops noted.
Investigators went to Franze’s home to speak with her. At first, she allegedly denied even knowing where her former boyfriend lived. But once confronted with evidence to the contrary, she allegedly changed her tune and claimed “it was not her idea.” She went on to say her mother and aunt who live outside the state came to visit when they hatched the plan, the complaint stated.
She allegedly said the trio bought a bunch of tampons and painted them red to make them look like they had been used. They allegedly drove over to her ex’s house and dumped the tampons. Cops concluded Franze’s alleged action “demonstrates a course of conduct” with the “sole purpose to harass” the victims which “serves no legitimate purpose.”
Deputies arrested her and transported her to the Volusia County Branch Jail where she has since bonded out. Her lawyer filed a motion to dismiss, claiming there is not enough evidence in the charging affidavit that a crime was committed.
Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV reports Franze has been placed on paid leave from Orange County Fire Rescue as officials investigate.
