TAMPA, Fla. — Joseph Malinowski, who gained viral attention on TikTok as 'Lieutenant Dan' for his attempt to ride out Hurricane Milton in his houseboat, has been arrested, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
According to his arrest inquiry, Malinowski reportedly had two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court and one misdemeanor charge for trespassing in a city park after warning.
Malinowski, 54, was arrested by officers with the Tampa Police Department around 7:30 a.m. Friday at Bayshore Linear Park and Dock. In a news release, officers said they met with Malinowski the day before.
Malinowski told them he did not have an accessible device to discharge sewage from his unregistered vessel, creating a public health hazard. Officers reportedly told the 54-year-old to leave the park, but he was found to still be there Friday morning after "numerous warnings."
While his arrest inquiry lists him as unemployed, Malinowski's occupation was listed as "TIK TOK STAR.".
Malinowski earned the nickname "Lieutenant Dan" in reference to the Forest Gump character who fictitiously survived a hurricane on a boat. Just a day before Hurricane Milton was expected to make landfall, he went viral on the social media app by claiming he would ride out the storm inside his houseboat.
On Oct. 9, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor shared that he allegedly changed his mind that day the video was taken.
"The Tampa Police Department, this morning, just saved Lieutenant Dan," Castor said at a press conference on Oct. 9. "He has been rescued, and he is now in a shelter as well. If we can get Lieutenant Dan to go to a shelter, we can get anybody to do that."
Now, Tampa police say Malinowski has been taken to Orient Road Jail and his unregistered boat has been impounded.