Stolen Yacht Washes Ashore: $4 Million Sailboat Spotted on TV, 60-Year-Old Arrested (VIDEO)
A San Francisco man has retrieved his $4 million yacht after catching a glimpse of the stolen boat on television Monday.
The boat owner was shocked to see his 82-foot Californian luxury sailboat on television Monday involved in Coast Guard rescue efforts. The three people on the boat had allegedly become stuck near the seaside town of Pacifica, south of San Francisco, and were refusing rescue attempts. Sheriff deputies riding jet skis, a Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter all made efforts to offer assistance to the boat, but were refused.
"The individuals did not want assistance from the Coast Guard but were stuck on a vessel that could go nowhere," Sausalito police Sergeant Bill Fraass told reuters.
The boat's owner, John Fruth, was baffled by the situation that was unfolding before him on his television, immediately called police and reported that the boat was stolen property that actually belonged to him. The boat, worth up to $4 million, according to Reuters, and "sleeps up to six people in three staterooms and is available for charter at $5,000 a day."
The three suspects have been identified as Leslie Gardner, 63, Dario Mira, 54, and Lisa Modawell, 56. Police believe the three suspects had plans to take the boat, which was discovered just 20 miles from its original location, on a longer journey. The boat became stuck in shallow water at low tide, according to local reports. All three suspects on the boat were arrested after the Coast Guard and police were able to remove the suspects off the stolen property.
