A Florida firefighter thought she found the perfect way to get back at her ex-boyfriend.
She was dead wrong about that.
And a Florida firefighter used one disgusting method to get revenge on her ex that left cops shaking their heads.
Gabrielle Franze takes "moving on" personally
Breaking up is never easy, but most adults figure out how to handle rejection without involving law enforcement.
Not 28-year-old Gabrielle Franze, a firefighter with Orange County Fire Rescue.
When Franze discovered her ex-boyfriend had moved on and was dating someone new, she didn’t just get mad – she got creative in the most disturbing way imaginable.
Security cameras catch midnight tampon bomber in the act
It was just after 10 p.m. on September 29 when a dark pickup truck slowly circled a quiet DeLand neighborhood.
The truck made several passes, clearly waiting for the perfect moment when no other cars were around.
Then a woman hopped out of the truck bed and proceeded to dump 75 red-stained tampons across her ex-boyfriend’s front yard and driveway – tampons that looked like they had been used.
The entire bizarre crime was captured on the homeowner’s security cameras, giving deputies everything they needed to track down the perpetrator.
https://twitter.com/breakfastclubam/status/1975187766527869096
When the couple emerged from their home on September 30, they found their yard littered with what appeared to be used feminine hygiene products, stained red "as if they were possibly used," according to the police report.
The mastermind behind the tampon terror campaign
The victims immediately suspected Franze when they saw the mess.
She had been making her displeasure known on social media ever since learning about her ex’s new relationship, "talking badly about them and the fact they are now together," according to court documents.
License plate readers confirmed that Franze’s pickup truck – which matched the vehicle captured on security footage – had been in the area at the exact time of the incident.
When Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies went to question Franze, she initially claimed she had no idea where her ex even lived.
But once confronted with the video evidence and license plate data, her story changed quickly.
The family affair that makes it even worse
Here’s where the story takes an even more twisted turn.
Franze admitted to the crime but claimed "it was not her idea."
Instead, she blamed her mother and aunt, who were visiting from out of state, saying they had hatched the plan together.
According to Franze’s confession, the three women went shopping for tampons, then took them home and carefully painted them red to make them appear used before driving to the ex-boyfriend’s house for their midnight revenge mission.
The deputies concluded that Franze’s actions demonstrated "a course of conduct" with the "sole purpose to harass" the victims and "serves no legitimate purpose."
Professional firefighter becomes amateur criminal
You’d think someone whose job involves protecting the community would have better judgment.
Franze has been with Orange County Fire Rescue since November 2019 and was described as a "decorated firefighter" before this incident.
Now she’s facing two counts of misdemeanor stalking and has been placed on paid administrative leave while the department conducts an internal investigation.
"Firefighters are supposed to stand for honor and integrity, yet she chose to do something like this," the victim told investigators. "That’s how you ruin a badge and a reputation."
The victim also expressed gratitude to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, stating: "A huge thank you to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office for their help and support with this disgusting and disturbing case. Your dedication and professionalism made a difficult situation a lot easier to handle."
Franze’s lawyer tries damage control while taxpayers foot the bill
Franze got released from jail without having to post bail.
Her lawyer immediately filed a motion to dismiss the charges.
And Franze’s attorney is trying to argue there isn’t enough evidence to prove a crime was committed.
That’s going to be a tough sell when you’ve got security footage, license plate data, and the woman’s own confession.
The smart money says this case is headed for a plea deal.
Franze has been drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck this whole time on paid administrative leave.
Orange County Fire Rescue put her on leave while they conduct their own investigation, but she’s still getting paid.
That means the people of Orange County are funding the salary of someone who spends her free time planning tampon attacks on ex-boyfriends.
Here’s what really gets people fired up about this case.
Firefighters are supposed to be the ones you call when everything goes wrong.
They show up when your house is burning down or when you’re trapped in a car accident.
These are life-and-death situations where split-second decisions matter.
Now you’ve got to wonder – if someone can’t handle a breakup without resorting to this level of crazy, what happens when they’re making decisions in a real emergency?
The folks paying her salary deserve better than this embarrassment.
¹ WFTV Staff, "Arrested Orange County firefighter accused of throwing over 100 tampons into ex’s yard," WFTV, October 3, 2025.
² David Harris, "’Stained red as if they were possibly used’: Firefighter dumps 75 tampons in ex-boyfriend’s yard because she was mad he was dating someone else, cops say," Law & Crime, October 5, 2025.
³ Jeremiah Hassel, "Florida woman dumps 75 red-stained tampons in ex-boyfriend’s yard after he moved on, cops say," Mirror US, October 6, 2025.
⁴ Annabelle Sikes, "Florida firefighter accused of throwing close to 100 painted red tampons onto ex-boyfriend’s lawn," Fox 35 Orlando, October 6, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
