A Florida man was arrested in Polk County after deputies say he was caught on camera walking completely naked down a Lakeland roadway in freezing temperatures—an incident he later blamed on a supposed TikTok challenge.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the early-morning sighting unfolded on Broken Arrow Trail, where a commuter spotted the unclothed man and immediately contacted authorities, per Fox 13.
The driver’s Tesla cameras captured the moment the man appeared on the road, completely naked. Deputies arrived shortly after and found him exactly as described.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his team asked the man whether he was cold, considering it was 36 degrees outside. Judd recalled the exchange, noting the man insisted he wasn’t cold and claimed he was completing a TikTok challenge.
That excuse quickly unraveled. As Judd told reporters, “You don’t even have your cell phone. You’re really naked when you don’t have your cell phone.”
Deputies added that the man did not have any device capable of recording a challenge or posting it online, leaving investigators unsure why he was outside without clothes in the first place.
The man also made it more difficult to identify him. Deputies say he initially offered a fake name and an incorrect address when questioned.
The sheriff’s office later confirmed that the individual was Anthony Day. After verifying his identity, deputies transported him to the Polk County Jail, where he arrived still without clothing.
Sheriff Judd also clarified what “buck naked” meant in this case. “He’s not even wearing socks,” he said, emphasizing that the man had no clothing whatsoever at the time of the arrest.
Day now faces multiple charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting an officer without violence, and exposure of sexual organs. The sheriff’s office noted that while he repeatedly cited a TikTok trend as his reason for being outside unclothed, they found no evidence to support that explanation.
Authorities say the central question remains unanswered: if not a social media stunt, what prompted Day to walk down a public street in near-freezing weather with no clothes?