Fort Lauderdale

Man Tried to Steal Boat in Fort Lauderdale

Authorities are searching for a man who was caught on camera trying to steal a boat from Sea Tow in Fort Lauderdale and may be responsible for more attempted boat thefts.

Dressed in nothing more than a pair of shorts, the suspected thief boarded the boat overnight Wednesday apparently trying to take the vessel. He boarded and messed around with the ignition.

He was able to get the boat turned on and at one point tried to untie it and push away from the pilings but didn't get far.

"We have those safety measures and that's the reason he couldn't start the boat in the first place, because this isn't a typical boat you can hop on and turn on," Sea Tow spokeswoman Alexandra Martinez said.

The boat was found near the slip with the engine running. When staff check the cameras they saw the suspicious character spent at least 15 minutes on board, taking his time, even stopping to smoke for a moment. Then someone said he looked familiar.

"We recognized the man right away to be someone we contacted the previous day, he'd been on a boat we realized this morning was reported stolen," Martinez said.

A Sea Tow captain had tried to help the same man on another disabled boat at the inlet on Tuesday, offering a tow or some service. Sea Tow said the man declined then jumped ship, abandoning the boat.

When they called police they learned that the boat, along with a Jet Ski found nearby, had been reported stolen.

"We're thinking it's all connected, three boats he attempted to steal," Martinez said.

Sea Tow contacted the Broward Sheriff's Office, which is now investigating the incidents.

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