Boat Stolen...Thieves Caught!!!

[KnotGolfin']

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By Daniel Winningham / daniel@misuntimes.com
Published: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 1:47 PM CDT

In the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 18, part-time Marco resident John Larsen received a cell phone call at his Nebraska home.

The GPS attached to his boat Nauti Boys, valued by Marco police at about $500,000, was alerting him that someone was trying to move it from its dock on North Barfield Drive.

He notified Marco police about the theft-in-progress. Later that night, due to exact GPS pinpointing of the boat's location, police recovered Nauti Boys and arrested five persons in connection with the theft.

Marco authorities said they now believe the boat was to have been used in human trafficking, perhaps from Cuba to the U.S.
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"This is all organized, planned," said Police Chief Thom Carr, who said the case has been turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of Homeland Security. "It's not haphazard."

Crime related to smuggling affects the island weekly, said Marco Island Police Department Capt. Dave Baer, who specializes in trafficking cases. But this is the first time a stolen boat has been recovered and suspects arrested.

"It's not just a Marco problem, it's a South Florida problem," Baer said.

The attempted theft of a high-end vessel under cover of darkness sent a red flag to Marco investigators. They saw it following a well-established pattern.

"Absolutely, I have no doubt about that," said Baer.

Dispose of evidence


Suspects often dispose of devices like GPS and satellite phones in the water rather than risk getting caught with them, Baer said.

And thieves are targeting larger boats suitable for trips to Cuba, Carr said.

One reason for the shift to Southwest Florida is the chances of getting caught are not as great as on Florida's east coast.

"We don't have the numbers," Carr said. "It's a money, personnel thing."

Oct. 18 arrests

Arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with grand theft were:

# Rene Blanco-Nunez, 40, 2310 2nd Ave. SE, Naples;

# Felix Pablo Molina-Lias, 22, 4 Birch St., Hollywood;

# Heriberto Paez-Reyes, 32, 4600 31st Ave. SW, Naples;

# Eduardo Perez, 30, 11425 NW 7th St., Miami;

# Jacqueline Galiano-Anesto, 41, 2310 2nd Ave. SE, Naples;

Bond for the each person arrested has been set at $150,000. As of early this week, only Galiano-Anesto had posted bond, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

A court date has been set for Nov. 10.

In Florida, an arrest for grand theft valued at more than $100,000 is a first-degree felony and carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

Details

According to the police report, at 2:19 a.m., officer Chris Lugo was sent to 119 N. Barfield to investigate the theft of a stolen boat.

The boat was described as a 34-foot 2009 Sea Vee named Nauti Boys.

The vessel is light blue and is powered by three 300-horsepower outboard engines, the police report states.

"That's what they want, big and fast," Carr said. He estimated a boat that size could transport 10 to 15 people.

The owner of the boat, calling from Nebraska, was notified at his home when the vessel was removed from the boat lift. But police found no trace of the boat when they arrived on the scene.

The police dispatcher, with help from the owner, said the boat was on Woodbine Court and had stopped off Stillwater Court.

"On Stillwater Court, Cpl. (Jason) Nachtrab observed the boat in the canal at approximately 165 Stillwater Court with approximately 10-12 subjects in it," the report states.

As Nachtrab approached the boat in his car, several men began jumping out of the boat and fleeing on foot, according to the report.

Several of the men hopped into a getaway car, which sped away with its headlights off. Officer Chris Lugo then pulled over the vehicle on North Barfield Drive.

Lugo was assisted by officers George Guyer and Eric Rhymer.

"They attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop," the report states.

"However, the subjects in the car did not appear to understand their commands and were yelling out to the officers in Spanish."

According to the report, after the individuals were taken in custody, they were questioned and each denied any knowledge of what was taking place.

Gas, water

The investigation found that extra containers of gas, water, Gatorade, GPS devices and a satellite phone were being loaded onto the boat at 165 Stillwater Court.

Police were able to retrieve the vessel in a canal by Stillwater Court and the suspects' getaway vehicle on North Barfield Drive, the report states.

According to the police report, several other accomplices fled the crime scene. A police dog and a helicopter from the Collier County Sheriff's Office were put to work on the case, but no more arrests were made, the report said.

Investigation

The investigation is now being handled by ICE, according to Carr.

About 600 gallons of fuel in large plastic containers were recovered following the Oct. 18 boat theft, police said.

Often, the suspects target a certain boat and hide gas and other supplies at a vacant lot to make the activity more difficult to track.

According to Carr, several months ago, a similar boat theft occurred. Law enforcement didn't catch anyone, but a vessel was retrieved. It likely was abandoned because it ran out of gas.

As a result of increased awareness Marco officers have been taking preventive measures to combat Marco boat theft, according to Carr.

"What we have tried to do is identify the type of boats these guys are taking," Carr said.

In a few instances, authorities have recovered GPS devices plotted with movement to northern Cuba, as well as to Mexico.

Carr would not elaborate on further details of the Oct. 18 arrests or say where he thought the boat would have been headed.

But local law enforcement officials believe boat thieves likely travel south all the way to Cuba or meet another boat midway to transport supplies or furnish extra fuel.

"It's not a fishing trip, it's very obvious," Carr said.

[KnotGolfin']

A 34 Sea Vee... now even the illegals have to ride in style.

[Jared D]

I have been hearing of lots of thefts around these parts (Jax FL). I remember Tim's (Lit Up) boat being taken, and stripped. I have heard about 4 other horror stories.

Its got to be so frustrating as a boat owner. It wont stop until there is some teeth behind these arrests.

[Lobo Marine Products]

Maybe we as fellow boaters should take actions into our own hands! Set up the boats with these GPS positioning warning systems and when you find your boat on the move call some friends, get a couple of boats, hunt them down and well beat the crap out of them then call the cops. just run them into international waters, whats that 20 miles out??

When these boat theives begin to see that their lives are at risk they may open their eyes, and say shit these boaters/fisherman are crazy.


Personally i think keep your selves armed, and second why not get a bunker snager and snag one of them off the boat.....now thats dealing with the situation