A stolen 80-foot yacht crashed into at least six boats inMiami Beach Marina around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, according to policein the localABC news station reports.
Police say the thief abandoned the boat following the crash,and witnesses report he jumped into the water. According to CBSMiami, one person reported that the thief jumped onto the yacht after thecaptain stepped off the vessel and that he had a hard time steering it as one of the yacht’s engines lost power, but the official cause is yet to beconfirmed.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Miami Fire Rescue responded to thescene, where the yacht began sinking shortly after the crash. They tried toprevent the yacht from taking on water, but stopped once it began to capsize.
They searched the water around the marina for the thief, butto no avail. According to NBCMiami, the police are still on the hunt for the thief and are currentlyinvestigating the crash, including whether it was intentional. After respondingto the first crash, the police realized there was a failed secondtheft attempt at another boat docked at the marina.
While other boats were damaged as a result of the crash, noone was injured.
UPDATE 2/23/18
Joselinn Anthony pleaded guilty last month to stealing the80-foot M/Y Mimi in October 2016.
“He’d never been on a boat, so he decided to go on a boat,”his defense attorney, Richard Gregg, told TheMiami Herald. “He walked past security and they never even gave him asecond look.”
After figuring out how to fire up the vessel and get herunderway, he soon ended up crashing the yacht into the Miami Beach Marina,damaging several docked boats before sinking.
The 25 year old was arrested after police reviewed themarina’s surveillance video and examined fingerprints. On January 17, hepleaded guilty to grand theft, burglary, and criminal mischief but, due to hisschizophrenia, he was sentenced to a stint at a mental-health rehabilitationcenter. If he fails, he would get 364 days in jail. He may also be ordered topay restitution.
Total damage at the marina is reportedly between $8 and $10million.
The owner of Andiamo,a boat damaged by Mimi, is suing themarina and security company for failing to “properly employ adequate securitymeasures to protect against the reasonably foreseeable risk of theft andvandalism,” according to the lawsuit.