Wild new details emerge after posh CA city chief caught on ‘random’ yacht at 7 a.m. with empty bottles of booze
A California city chief allegedly locked herself inside the wheelhouse of a “random” 75-foot yacht and repeatedly sounded its horn before two bottles of booze were found empty in a bizarre early-morning episode ending with her arrest.
Elaine Forbes, 53, who started as Sausalito’s city manager just three weeks ago, was allegedly discovered aboard the Lisa Marie early Saturday after Captain Bill Aubrey heard its horn blaring shortly after 5:30 a.m., The San Francisco Standard reported.
Forbes’ family has since said she has been experiencing a “mental health crisis” and urged the public not to “rush to judgment” as more details emerge about the stunning incident.
Elaine Forbes started as Sausalito’s city manager weeks ago and was allegedly discovered aboard a yacht Saturday.Port of San Francisco
“Elaine Forbes has devoted much of her life to public service and is widely respected by the many people who have worked with her over the years,” spokesman Sam Singer said in a statement on behalf of Forbes and her family.
“We ask that no one rush to judgment based on limited information. Elaine is experiencing a mental health crisis.
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“As the facts become clearer and Elaine obtains legal and healthcare counsel in the coming hours and days, we hope people will respond with compassion, patience and respect for her and her family during an extraordinarily difficult time,” the statement continued.
Aubrey, who was moored nearby, told the outlet he heard the yacht’s horn around the same time an emergency vehicle with sirens was passing through the area.
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Forbes was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary.Obtained by the CA Post
He recognized the sound as coming from the 75-foot vessel and rushed over, where he said he found Forbes inside the wheelhouse after she had allegedly locked herself in and was sounding the horn.
When Aubrey boarded the yacht and told Forbes to get off, she looked at him and pleasantly replied, “Good morning!”
“She didn’t seem disheveled,” Aubrey said, describing her demeanor as “normal, friendly.”
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The “Lisa Marie” is seen docked in Sausalito.Paul Kuroda
But Aubrey said he later discovered a large bottle of Grey Goose vodka and a bottle of tequila, full the previous night, were empty.
He said he checked the yacht at about 9:15 p.m. the night before, as he does nightly, and found no apparent damage.
“She wasn’t staggering,” Aubrey said, “but the booze was gone.”
Marin County Sheriff’s spokesperson Lt. Domenick Yazzolino told The Standard that Forbes picked “a random boat” to allegedly break into.
When Aubrey boarded the yacht and told Forbes to get off, she looked at him and pleasantly replied, “Good morning!”Linkedin
Forbes initially told deputies the vessel belonged to her, but investigators later contacted its owner, who confirmed she did not have permission to be aboard.
She allegedly explained to authorities she was having “a bad morning” and insisted they leave what she claimed was her boat.
Aubrey also told The Standard that deputies said they had been searching for Forbes for four days after a missing-person report had been filed.
Forbes was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary.
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Sausalito City Council placed Forbes on administrative leave following a closed-session meeting.Paul Kuroda for CA Post
Bail was set at $50,000, and booking records showed she remained in custody as of late Sunday afternoon.
The arrest came less than three weeks after Forbes began her $275,000-a-year job as city manager of the affluent Bay Area enclave on July 1.
It also came just two days after the Sausalito City Council placed her on administrative leave following a closed-session meeting.
Officials have not publicly explained why Forbes was placed on leave.
The City of Sausalito called Forbes’ arrest “a difficult development for our City staff and our community” and said it would not comment further while the investigation remains active.
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The arrest came around three weeks after Forbes began her high-paying job as city manager of the Bay Area enclave.Google Maps
Forbes was appointed Sausalito’s city manager in May after announcing last September that she would step down as executive director of the Port of San Francisco, a role she had held for nine years.
She became Port director in 2016 after serving as interim director and was, at the time, one of the few women in the country leading a major US port.
During her tenure, Forbes oversaw a staff of about 270 and managed major waterfront initiatives, including seawall reinforcement and planning related to sea-level rise along the Embarcadero.
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During her tenure, Forbes oversaw a staff of about 270 and managed major waterfront initiatives.sausalito.gov
In her final year at the Port, she was a public face of the Fisherman’s Wharf Forward initiative, which proposed replacing the shuttered Alioto’s Restaurant building with a public plaza overlooking the wharf’s fishing fleet.
Before taking the top job, Forbes served as the Port’s chief financial officer and deputy director for finance and administration.
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She previously held public-sector roles in San Francisco and Oakland, including serving as finance director for the San Francisco Planning Department, and worked for nonprofit land-use and economic-development organizations.
The City Council is expected to address the matter at its regular meeting Tuesday.
