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JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — A 22-year-old Melbourne man is facing multiple charges in Martin County after authorities say he poured gasoline on vehicles in downtown Jensen Beach, set portions of a state preserve on fire with a tiki torch, and surrendered to deputies while armed with what appeared to be a samurai sword.
Morgan Grante Lentz, a student at the University of Central Florida with no known ties to Martin County, was taken into custody in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 23, 2026, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began outside Goose Pub, a popular Jensen Beach watering hole, when a witness flagged down officers to report a man dressed as a pirate pouring gasoline onto a parked motorcycle, according to reporting from WPTV.
Investigators say Lentz had already attempted to pour gasoline on multiple vehicles in the downtown Jensen Beach area before arriving at Goose Pub, where he allegedly doused the motorcycle with an accelerant. The motorcycle’s owner confronted Lentz and chased him on foot, but Lentz fled the area before he could be detained.
Deputies soon received reports of a man matching Lentz’s description walking toward U.S. 1 while carrying a lit torch. Witnesses told detectives they watched him use the torch to ignite multiple spots of dry vegetation inside the preserve near Jensen Beach Boulevard and Northwest Green River Parkway, setting portions of the land ablaze.
Law enforcement tracked Lentz into Savannas Preserve State Park, a nearly 6,000-acre stretch of protected freshwater marsh, pine flatwoods, and wet prairie that runs along Florida’s Treasure Coast.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, when deputies located Lentz inside the preserve, he was still armed with a burning tiki torch and what appeared to be a samurai sword. He surrendered to deputies following a brief standoff.
Martin County Fire Rescue units responded quickly to the scene and extinguished the fires before they could cause significant damage to the preserve. No injuries were reported to civilians, deputies, or firefighters.
Authorities have not publicly released a motive for the string of incidents, and it remains unclear what brought Lentz from Melbourne to the Treasure Coast. WPTV reported that Lentz has no known ties to Martin County.
Lentz was transported to the Martin County Jail, where he was booked on the following charges:
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation. Additional charges may be forthcoming as detectives work to identify the owners of the vehicles targeted in downtown Jensen Beach.
The Space Coast Rocket will continue to follow this story. Anyone with information about the incidents or potential additional victims is asked to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
