March 5, 2013
Three people were arrested by California police after they stole a $2.8million yacht and ran it aground on a beach 25 miles away.
The thieves, two men and one woman, stocked up on pizza and beer before stealing the sailboat from a marina in Sausalito and taking it for a midnight joyride.
The theft was not discovered until the owner watched a television news report on the three people stranded, and recognised his sail boat.
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Thief: Rescuers attempt to grab one of the two women off the back of the $2.8million sailboat stranded near the beach in Pacifica, California, before she and her two companions were arrested
Caught: Dario Mira, 54, is arrested by police as he arrives on the shore after stocking a luxury sail boat with pizza and beer and taking it for a joyride which ended in the sand
Once it became clear that the three on the yacht were not simply unfortunate sailors, Pacifica police officers were called and joined Coast Guard and fire department on Linda Mar Beach.
Leslie Gardner, 63, Dario Mira, 54, and Lisa Modawell, 56, had to be removed from the 82ft vessel after spending hours aground in rough waves just 20 yards off a Pacifica beach.
When authorities went aboard the yacht, they found cases of pale ale and a pizza box.
‘There looks like there was quite a bit of alcohol drinking onboard,’ Jeff Wadkins, a state parks lifeguard and park ranger told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The rough sea had left the contents of the boat in disarray, Mr Wadkins said, and the trio appeared to be suffering from seasickness.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288327/Three-arrested-stealing-sailboat-stocking-pizza-beer--running-aground-California.html#ixzz2Mfxervk8
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