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Boat Owners Deal With Aftermath of Destructive Joy Ride Through Newport Harbor

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA) - After a vandalism suspect went on a destructive joy ride through Newport Harbor on Thursday morning, clean-up crews were left to dispose of the mess.

It's now been reported that the stolen boat was undergoing maintenance. The Orange County Sheriff's Department says because of that — the keys were on board the vessel. Still, witnesses say it would not be easy to steal.

"As the boat was backing up, I thought the throttle was stuck," said Dylan Eckardt who was in his office when heard the commotion in the water. "As I looked closer, he threw it in drive and ran over the top of [a] sailboat."

Eckardt and other witnesses say that they thought the boat was out of control due to mechanical problems. It never crossed their mind that it was stolen.

"As I'm filming I think it's going to come straight through the building. So I tell everyone to move back," said Eckardt. "At this moment he's on top of the sailboat and this woman pops out screaming, help help!"

READ MORE: Stolen Boat Taken on Destructive Joy Ride Through Newport Harbor

Deborah Dolly was on that crushed sailboat. She spoke with CBSLA on Thursday just after the crash.

"Everything was chaotic and then I come out to look on the deck [and] the boat was spinning around in circles," said Dolly.

Witnesses watched as the boat spun donuts. Then, in a clip from another witness - the stolen boat sideswipes another boat and crashes head on into a wall near the Lido Isle Bridge.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ca71u3Zl4qR
Warning: Video contains strong language

The OC Sherriff's Harbor Patrol arrested the suspected thief, 38-year-old Joel Siam from San Diego.

"It's a big boat. It's a 65' boat," said Eckardt. "What I was still thinking about is, how did he steal the boat? How do you start a boat, not knowing how to drive it, but how to start the boat?"

Now three boat owners are left figuring out the extensive and expensive repairs following the series of crashes.

So far, one of those boat owners says he believes that repairs to his boat will cost $100,000. He and the other boat owners are still waiting for the insurance estimates to fix the boats.

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