Lieutenant Dan, the viral star who found fame as he survived Hurricane Milton on his 20-foot sailboat, has been arrested.
Tampa police arrested the 54-year-old, whose real name is Joseph Malinowski, on Friday morning at Bayshore Linear Park and Dock. Police said they initially met on Thursday with Malinowski, who said he couldn’t properly dispose of the human waste on his boat, creating a public health hazard.
Police repeatedly warned him to move his boat from the dock, but when they returned Friday morning, it was still there.
Malinowski is now at the Orient Road Jail and his boat, which was unregistered, has been impounded, local outlet WTSP reports.
His arrest record, which identifies his occupation as “TikTok star,” indicates he has two outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court.
Malinowski, who derives his nickname from the Forest Gump character who survived a hurricane on his houseboat, went viral earlier this month when he vowed to ride out Hurricane Milton on his small sailboat.
“The water’s going to come in, it’s going to rise,” he said in a TikTok ahead of the Category 3 storm hitting Florida. “If you’re on land, it’s going to flood. You’re risking drowning. I’m in a boat, so the boat goes up with the water... it’s really the safest place to be, on my boat.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced Malinowski was rescued by the police and taken to a shelter the morning before the storm hit, but he was reportedly back inside his boat within hours.
Many were concerned for his safety and relieved to hear he survived the storm. Local Fox 13 news anchor Kevin O’Donnell tracked Malinowski down after the hurricane passed. Malinowski told him he was “fine” and that the storm wasn’t as bad as he was expecting.
Despite his viral fame, Malinowski has an extensive criminal history, with arrest records in several states, The Independent previously reported.
As recently as August, he was charged with a misdemeanor for selling, operating or using a vessel without certificate of title in Hillsborough County, Florida.
In April 2022, Malinowski was released after a one-year prison sentence in a felony case over punching a police officer in the nose.
An affidavit previously reviewed by The Independent details another alleged incident in February 2023.
According to the document, a woman got into an argument with Malinowski on the east coast of Florida. Suddenly, he poured a one-gallon container of gasoline onto the bench between the pair, igniting it, the affidavit states.
The woman was unharmed, but said she “feared for her life” given the close encounter. A judge later ordered Malinowski to house arrest, but multiple reports note that the case was dropped a month later for unspecified reasons.
