Richard Marco Rodriguez, 35, of Whittier, California, really likes the 78-foot, $3 million yacht Stimulus. In fact, he likes it so much, he’s tried to steal it twice.
According to the Orange County Register, the problems started three years ago, when the harbor patrol saw Stimulus at first stuck between two docks in Balboa and then starting to drift toward a seawall. They thought the person at the wheel was the owner, so they helped pull the boat to safety at the mouth of the Newport Harbor. The person was Rodriguez.
The real owner called police the next day to report the boat was stolen. Long Beach police quickly arrested Rodriguez after he tried to escape by ramming their boat. He was convicted of grand theft and sentenced to five years, but he was released on May 17.
For whatever reason, Rodriguez came back to Stimulus last week. but marina workers saw him on board and called the yacht’s skipper, Craig Brewer. When Brewer saw who it was, he said “I just couldn’t believe it.” Rodriguez now faces theft charges again.
