Lieutenant Dan of Hurricane Milton was arrested for alleged trespassing

A man who went viral on TikTok during Hurricane Milton has been arrested. On Oct. 18, Joseph “Lieutenant Dan” Malinowski was arrested in Hillsborough County, Florida, online records show.

Malinowski, listed in records as a transient TikTok star, was arrested on two outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of trespassing in a city park after being warned.

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After his arrest, a spokesman for the Tampa Police Department said People that officers “met with Malinowski at the Bayshore Linear Park and Dock” because they feared he was trespassing.

“Malinowski told 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, posing a threat to public health,” said Tampa Police Public Information Officer Verliz Williams department, said the outlet. “He was ordered to leave the park; However, it was discovered that he was still there this morning despite numerous warnings.”

Officers seized Malinowski’s boat, Williams told the outlet.

After spending two nights behind bars, Malinowski was released from jail Sunday on $150 bail, arrest records show.

How Joseph “Lieutenant Dan” Malinowski Went Viral

Malinowski went viral in the days before Hurricane Milton. He refused to evacuate his boat before the storm.

Terrence Concannon, a TikTok user named Tampa Terrence, documented Malinowski’s story. Concannon, who gave Malinowski his nickname based on the Forrest Gump character, started a GoFundMe for him. Almost $45,000 was raised.

Streamer Adin Ross also decided to give something back to Malinowski. Ross announced during a livestream that he would be gifting Malinowski a boat worth up to $100,000 and a full-time contract with Kick.

Amid the attention, however, Malinowski’s less-than-squeaky-clean past came to light. According to local broadcaster PBS, Malinowski previously served nearly six months in prison for hitting a police officer.

In 2023, Malinowski was criminally charged for allegedly sinking a sailboat, according to the outlet. Later that year, Malinowski was arrested after allegations that he tried to set a woman on fire with gasoline, the outlet reported. According to the medium, there is also an ongoing legal battle over the ownership of Malinowski’s now infamous sailboat.