Staff Reports
A wacky Florida man is in hot water after trying to pull a real-life superhero stunt at a US Air Force base. The 33-year-old man, identified as Baruch Roche, attempted to force his way into the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa while toting an AR-15 rifle and insisting he was none other than Captain America himself. The prosecutors in the case are not letting this wild escapade slide. They’re throwing the book at him and he could be facing a whole year behind bars over the incident.
"Captain America" MacDill AFB Nov 3.
AR-15 was in the trunk.
Hospitalized under FL Baker's Act mental health. Claimed top secret intel & active SOCOMDeranged man calling himself 'Captain America' charged after attempt to enter military base with AR-15 https://t.co/Z0mJImkhOJ
— Cara TXZEAL (@Cara_TXZEAL) December 19, 2023
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Roche rolled up to the base gate in his green Hyundai Genesis and demanded entry, claiming he had some top-secret information to deliver to the Air Force big shots. But when asked for his ID, he bizarrely decided to bypass that step and instead proclaimed, “I’m Captain America!”
He went on to insist that he was an “active member” of the United States Operations Command and even insisted he had a meeting scheduled with a general in the group. It’s safe to say the Air Force personnel were not buying what Roche was selling. After he became argumentative and made threats, security detained him and found an AR-15 rifle in his car, along with a whopping 125 rounds of ammunition.
Tampa cops and the Behavior Health Unit had to step in to try and make sense of the situation. It turns out, Roche claimed to be struggling with anxiety and depression, and that he was taking ADHD medication. These are serious issues, sure, but they don’t exactly justify storming an Air Force base armed to the teeth and claiming to be a comic book character.
In response to his wild behavior, Roche had to be involuntarily hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act, which is basically a last resort for individuals in severe mental health crises.MacDill Air Force Base is no stranger to real heroes, but the only capes they’re seeing here are the ones being worn by the men and women who serve and protect our nation.
