Man Charged With Taking Drunken Joyride In Stolen Boat
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 52-year-old man was facing numerous charges, after allegedly breaking into a boat moored in Burnham Harbor, taking it for a joyride, and damaging it and several other boats.
Around 6 p.m. Sunday, the Chicago Police Marine Unit responded to numerous calls of a boat speeding around the harbor, and crashing into other boats docked in Burnham Harbor.
When police pulled the boat over, police found Garth Whalen on board, stinking of alcohol. The $300,000 boat was taking on water, due to all the damage caused by crashing into five other vessels.
Whalen allegedly told police he wasn't driving, but he was the only person on board the boat, which belongs to a Winnetka man who told police he doesn't know Whalen.
Whalen has been charged with one felony count of burglary, one felony count of possession of a stolen vehicle, five misdemeanor counts of criminal property damage, and one misdemeanor count of operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol.
He was being held at Cook County Jail on $100,000 bail, according to the Cook County Sheriff's office.
