Florida man accused of stealing small plane in Palo Alto pleads not guilty
The Florida man accused of stealing a small plane from the Palo Alto Airport last week before making an emergency landing on a Half Moon Bay beach entered a not guilty plea in court Tuesday.
50-year-old Miami resident Luiz Gustavo Aires was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in San Mateo County. Investigators say Aires stole the plane last Thursday at the regional airport in Palo Alto.
A short time later, he made an emergency land about 25 miles east on a beach in Half Moon Bay that left the aircraft upended with its nose touching the ground. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office sent units after reports of the emergency landing, but no one was at the plane when they arrived.
A short time later, a man matching Aires's description was taken into custody in Half Moon Bay. The sheriff's office worked with Palo Alto police on the theft and recovery of the plane.
Aires initially denied court appointed representation from the private defender program, asking to represent himself. His arraignment was briefly paused so he could to complete the required forms to officially request self-representation.
However, Commissioner Rebecca Woodson who was presiding over the case decided Aires was not qualified to represent himself and denied his request, without prejudice. After a court counsel was appointed, Aires entered a not guilty plea.
Bail was set at $10,000. A preliminary hearing is set for late February.
The incident comes just weeks after a deadly plane crash into Half Moon Bay last month. People reported a plane flying erratically over the water east of the Moss Beach Distillery that crashed into the ocean on January 15.
The San Mateo County Coroner's Office identified one of the four people who were in the plane as 27-year-old Emma Pearl Willmer-Shiles of San Francisco a few days later.
So far, three bodies have been recovered near the site of that crash.
