Man Accused of Stealing Yacht, Crashing Into Others in Newport Beach Harbor

[wkearney99]

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/...-into-others-in-newport-beach-harbor/2845420/

A man was accused of stealing a pricey yacht in Newport Beach and crashing it into several others before being taken into custody Thursday.

Police said Joel Siam was arrested on suspicion of grand theft of a boat and possession of a stolen boat, and held on $3,000,000 bail.

Newport Beach police said sometime Thursday morning, a man was seen vandalizing a yacht near Balboa Bay Resort at 1200 West Coast Highway.

The man allegedly tried to take a Rolls Royce before piloting a yacht in Newport Beach and crashing it. Vikki Vargas reports March 10, 2022.
Police said the man crossed the highway and commandeered a yacht in one of the slips.

Sheriff’s deputies say the 60-foot yacht was taken from a dock where it had been undergoing maintenance, so the keys were inside.

He drove the boat around the harbor and hit a couple other yachts in the process, wild video shows.

One woman sitting aboard a sailboat was injured in the crash.

It didn't stop there. The yacht could be seen doing donuts in the water, then speeding forward.

"When I looked out, the power boat really going fast. I thought it was a runaway engine -- that's what happens you can't stop the engine," witness Sandi Morgan said,

The demolition derby on the water ended when the boat finally smashed into one more vessel, and then a sea wall.

"The poor owner of this boat it hit just had the boat restored, so they’re a little upset at moment," witness Kai Macartney said.

The owner of the yacht was seen surveying the damage midday afterward.

The bow sustained the most damage, aerial footage showed.

The owner of the stolen boat was too upset to go on camera but did tell NBCLA it was purchased new in August to be used for a charter business, and that half a bottle of tequila from inside was now gone.

The man was taken into custody by Harbor Patrol.

NBCLA captured video of the suspect in a life jacket being put into a patrol car.

Police initially called because the San Diego man was accused of trying to steal a Rolls Royce along Pacific Coast Highway, then he jumped in the boat.

 

[kthoennes]

Huh -- the thief must have had at least a little familiarity with boats. Even on my 40-footer, firing up and moving out is not simple. Our boat starts with two (unlabled) switches, and you'd still have to switch on the helm controls on the electrical panel in the salon; would have to throw off six mooring lines; water supply line and two power lines. I have combined throttle/shifters which have kind of a complicated dead-slow arc and then a throttle up arc. Have to align the rudders dead straight if you're maneuvering in the marina with just the throttles, although it sounds like he didn't care too much about maneuvering. 60-footer, must be diesel, so no blowers to fire up first (ha!). Probably didn't care about fenders.

 

[ScottC]

I think narcotics could be the only plausible explanation for that performance! Not the tequila...

 

[koliver]

"
NBCLA captured video of the suspect in a life jacket being put into a patrol car."

 

[cardude01]

I think I’ll steal a large boat. Wait, how do you drive a boat?

[emoji849]

 

[kthoennes]

Three million dollars bail according to the news stories? You could kill somebody and get lower bail. Something has to be off. I see the defendant's name is Joel Siam. I checked the offender locator for Newport Beach and the San Diego Sheriff's jail, doesn't come up. Wonder if he's been released already. Boy, if he hadn't been zonked out or an amateur, he could have motored that boat away to Catalina. This reminds me of the other threads we've had about boat security and access and potential theft.

 

[koliver]

No, the response will be restorative justice where the offender and victim meet, hold hands and sing kumbaya.

Having been a prosecutor back in the 80s, I know that the evidence of insanity is weak, he did have on a life jacket, the evidence of incompetence is strong, looking at the trajectory of the boat, there isn't any evidence of an intended victim, other than the owner, so nobody will be holding hands. We don't know about any ability to carry a tune.
The charge that is obvious is mischief, a misdemeanor (in the US), a Summary Conviction offence in Canada, where the max penalty will be a fine of a few $k, and/or 6 months. Though insurance will pay up front, restitution, only if the offender has the ability to do so, may make the insured and possibly the insurer whole again.
Any more serious charge would require a lot more evidence of intent than seems available, so would not likely be pursued.
All of this is similar in every jurisdiction in Canada and the US.

 

[KnotYet]

There is also the victim who was run over while inside their sailboat and required
medical treatment. So maybe the addition of reckless endangerment at the least.

 

[koliver]

There is also the victim who was run over while inside their sailboat and required
medical treatment. So maybe the addition of reckless endangerment at the least.

Likely lots more to be piled on by a keen prosecutor, but realistically the outcome is unlikely to be a harsh penalty in any jurisdiction.

 

[READY]

Adds new meaning to the NASCAR commentator phrase : "He (she) is driving that car like they stole it"

 

[RonR]

The Wife showed me the video last night. I then put my shoes back on, got into the car and drove to the marina. I then removed my keys that have been in the ignition for as long as I have owned this boat...
You would need to know a few things just to power up the ignition system, then fire off detroits. But if the officer/insurance ask if the keys were in it, I can say no they were not.