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Stolen yacht washes ashore: Three people in the San Francisco Bay Area took copious amounts of beer and pizza on board a yacht—basically a luxury sailboat—before running it aground.
Three people got into a luxury sailboat with beer and pizza, stealing it in the middle of the night in a harbor in the San Francisco Bay before running aground, it was reported.
The 82-foot-long Darling, or “Darlin,” which took off from Sausalito, made it to Pacifica but hit the sand on Monday, authorities told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The owner of the ship recognized the vessel on TV news after it ran aground, and alerted authorities that it was stolen. Before the owner recognized the stolen boat, however, police asked the suspects if they needed any help, which they declined, reported The Associated Press.
Once the officers learned it was stolen, they drew their guns and surrounded the trapped vessel.
San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies then took suspects Dario Mira, 54, Leslie Gardner, 63, and Lisa Modawell, 56, into custody. They were arrested on grand theft and conspiracy charges.
“We do have thefts of vessels throughout the area, but the theft of a vessel of this size is uncommon,” Sausalito police Sgt. Bill Fraass told AP.
Elaborating on the incident, the Marin Independent Journal said the boat was spotted stuck in the sand off Linda Mar Beach before 5:15 a.m. Around six hours later, the three suspects were arrested.
As the female suspect was being placed on a police jetski, one woman chanted: “Do it! Do it! Do it! Jump!” according to the paper.
Speaking to his 2-year-old daughter, Pacifica resident Doug Hamar said, “Never too early for a life lesson. Don’t be like that,” while laughing.
When police got on board the vessel, they discovered boxes of pizza and cases of pale ale, Jeff Wadkins, a park ranger and lifeguard, told the Chronicle
“There looks like there was quite a bit of alcohol drinking on board,” he was quoted as saying.
The sailboat has three cabins with their own bathrooms and a satellite TV, according to the paper. It is estimated to be worth around $2.8 million.
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