A man who went viral on TikTok amid Hurricane Milton has been arrested. On Oct. 18, Joseph “Lieutenant Dan” Malinowski was arrested in Hillsborough County, Florida, online records show.
Malinowski, who is listed as a transient TikTok star in the records, was arrested on two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court. He’s also facing a misdemeanor charge for trespassing in a city park after warning.
After his arrest, a spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department told People that officers “met with Malinowski at Bayshore Linear Park and Dock” amid concerns he was trespassing in the park.
“Malinowski informed officers that he did not have an accessible marine sanitation device aboard his unregistered vessel and did not have a record of proper disposal of waste, creating a public health hazard,” Verliz Williams, a public information officer with the Tampa Police Department, told the outlet. “He was instructed to leave the park; however, he was found to be still there this morning, even after numerous warnings.”
Officers impounded Malinowski’s boat, Williams told the outlet.
After spending two nights behind bars, Malinowski was released from jail on Sunday on $150 bond, per the arrest records.
How Joseph “Lieutenant Dan” Malinowski Went Viral
Malinowski went viral in the days leading up to Hurricane Milton. He refused to evacuate his boat ahead of the storm.
Terrence Concannon, a TikTok user known as Tampa Terrence, documented Malinowski’s story. Concannon, who gave Malinowski his nickname based off of the Forrest Gump character, started a GoFundMe for him. It raised nearly $45,000.
Streamer Adin Ross also decided to give back to Malinowski. Ross announced during a livestream that he’d be giving Malinowski a boat valued at up to $100,000 and a full-time Kick deal.
Amid the attention, though, Malinowski’s less than squeaky clean past came to light. According to the local PBS station, Malinowski previously spent nearly six months in jail for punching a police officer.
In 2023, Malinowski was criminally charged for allegedly sinking a sailboat, per the outlet. Later that year, Malinowski was arrested after it was alleged that he tried to set a woman on fire with gasoline, the outlet reported. According to the outlet, there’s also an ongoing legal battle about the ownership of Malinowski’s now-infamous sailboat.
The post Hurricane Milton’s Lieutenant Dan Arrested for Alleged Trespassing appeared first on VICE.
The post Hurricane Milton’s Lieutenant Dan Arrested for Alleged Trespassing appeared first on VICE.
