Three people have been arrested for stealing the luxury 82-foot (25-m) sailboat

Mar 5, 2013 13:33 GMT  ·  By

The owner of a luxury sailboat has reported it missing after seeing it on TV, trapped ashore on a beach in Northern California.

The 82-foot (25-m) yacht named “Darlin” belongs to a man from Sausalito, and he is set to recover it once it is freed.

It ran aground 20 miles (32 km) further away in Pacifica, California. Two men and a woman were on board as it became stuck in shallow water at low tide, KCRA reports.

The incident was reported at 5:15 a.m. on Monday, March 4, adds The Epoch Times. The vessel was battling 4-5-foot (1.2-1.5-meter) waves near Linda Mar State Beach and was unable to set sail.

The Coast Guard contacted the occupants of the boat, who claimed they required no assistance and were unwilling to cooperate with authorities and show proper documents for the boat.

“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 says.

The Police and the Coast Guard surrounded the yacht and safely pulled out the three people on board. They have been identified as 63-year-old Leslie Gardner, 54-year-old Dario Mira, and 56-year-old Lisa Modawell.

“Efforts to communicate with individuals about the boat were refused. It was later determined that the vessel, an 80’ sailboat, was stolen from Sausalito, CA.

“Several hours later, the Pacifica Police officers were able to communicate with the boats occupants from the shoreline. The occupants finally agreed to leave the boat and were assisted to shore with the aid of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Water Rescue Team,” the police report by officer Jim Tassa reads.

They have been charged with grand theft and conspiracy, and are being held at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

[Update, March 6 2013]: A previous version of the article included a misspelling which has been corrected, thanks to our readers. Don't forget to keep commenting and leaving your opinion in the comments section.