When a Largo man allegedly stole a pricey boat from a dealership, he reportedly left the vessel after crashing into a group of pilings.
Last Saturday around 2:00 am, the theft of a 2019 Jeanneau Leader boat with a value of $90,000 was reportedly robbed from the Thunder Marine boat dealership in St. Petersburg.
After the suspect left the shore with the boat, the alleged voyage took a turn for the worse as the vessel was navigated in a way that caused it to smash into four wooden channel-marker pilings.
The suspect reportedly decided the voyage was awash and abandoned ship, and the boat was said to have floated into a nearby oyster bed where it was later discovered with a significant amount of damage.
The authorities reported that the alleged thief left behind a clue in the form of a fingerprint that they located on the door of the cabin on the boat.
After using the collected alleged evidence to track down a possible suspect, the authorities said the print led them to believe that Largo resident Donnovan Russell Jester was the person who had lifted the boat.
On June 18, the authorities located 28-year-old Jester and he was taken into custody and booked into the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
He is facing charges for suspicion of grand theft of a vessel for the allegations.
It was reported that the boat ended up taking an estimated $60,000 of damage during the incident.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.