Stolen million-dollar yacht found damaged, ransacked in Sacramento River
SACRAMENTO — A yacht owner is trying to figure out how much it will cost to repair his stolen and damaged 51-foot yacht.
It happened on Aug. 14, right before the sun came up. That is when a neighbor spotted Tom Hopkins' yacht backing out but didn't see Tom operating it.
"Obviously, 51 feet is hard to camouflage. It's going to stick out somewhere. They're going to find you in this boat," he said.
Forty-eight hours later, the million-dollar 98 Sea Ray 450 was spotted by a friend of Tom's down the Sacramento River with its anchor dropped and the thieves nowhere in sight.
"The only thing I have left is a piece of their dingy with their line that was tied on there," Tom said as he reflected on finding the yacht.
The thieves stole personal items, damaged the prop engine, damaged the paneling, damaged the canopy, and siphoned nearly 100 gallons of diesel fuel.
The Sacramento Police Department is now investigating the incident.
