COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - City of Miami Police are on the search for two men who were caught on camera stealing a couple’s prized yacht.
The boat owner, Daniela Salazar, said their 55-foot Azimut Atlantis yacht, valued at around $600,000, was stolen from the Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove on Monday.
The family found out about the theft as they prepared to take their family out on the water this weekend.
Surveillance video from the marina shows two men in black hoodies walking into the marina that was open at the time for painting.
One of the subjects was wearing a baseball hat with shorts, while the other one was wearing his sweater with the hood up and sneakers.
In another video, the subjects are seen untying the boat from the marina dock as one of them gets onto the vessel. It took them five minutes to start the yacht and pull away from the boat slip.
In an interview with 7News over the phone, Salazar said she believes their boat was targeted.
“And they just very casually just jumped on the boat. They knew what they were doing, 100%,” she said. “They knew how to manage the boat, they knew how to take the ropes off, the shore power, just very, very comfortable with what they were doing at the moment.”
Salazar pointed out that the reason the two men were able to enter the marina was because crews were painting the gates, so the door was wide open.
The camera that captures people entering and leaving the marina was covered with tape to prevent paint splatter.
“It’s strange, it’s crazy. I mean, if it was a public marina, OK, but this is a private marina that has high security, and the door happened to be wide open and the camera covered,” said Salazar.
Now, Salazar wants the boat thieves caught and her yacht, called Bloop Bloop, returned.
“I hope that we can recover this boat, because it means a lot to us,” she said. “It’s part of our family, of our memories, and I mean, it’s just sad that people can take things that we work hard for and that we cherish.”
Salazar said the yacht is not able to be pulled by a car, so they believe it is in the water.
The family wants the public to reach out to Miami Police or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission if they see the yacht.
If you have any information on this theft or the subjects’ whereabouts, call City of Miami Police at 305-603-6640 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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