VENTURA : Man Arrested in Attempted Boat Theft

A 20-year-old man who was released from Ventura County Jail last Saturday was arrested by police Wednesday morning on suspicion of stealing a 51-foot sailboat from Ventura Harbor.

Franquise Demointriere was arrested by Ventura police about 7 a.m. Wednesday after a witness spotted the sailing vessel The Rose making its way out of the harbor.

Assistant Harbormaster Scott Miller said the attempted theft of the vessel was the second in as many days.

“Apparently, he tried to steal it the night before (Tuesday) and was not successful,” Miller said. Wednesday morning, “one of the people in the yard saw it being driven away and gave us a call,” he said.

The boat, a 1977 Formosa valued at $155,000, is usually moored at Marina Del Rey.

Owner Peter Hogg of Los Angeles said he was celebrating Thanksgiving anchored at Santa Cruz Island when swells caused moderate damage to the vessel and forced him to leave it at Ventura Harbor for repairs.

“It’s a little shocking actually,” said Hogg, a commercial photographer. “I don’t think anybody thought they would try it again.”

According to Ventura police, the suspect was carrying nothing but a sheet of paper indicating that he had been released from jail last weekend. He had been in custody for 34 days for attempting to evade arrest after being stopped in a car that had been reported stolen, jail officials said.

“This guy has absolutely no I.D. on him except that piece of paper,” said Ventura Police Lt. Brent Johnson. “He says he’s from France and that he came over here on a merchant ship.”

Demointriere was booked into Ventura County Jail on Wednesday with bail set at $5,000.