Orange County

WATCH: San Diego Man Steals Multimillion-Dollar Yacht, Crashes Into More Yachts: Deputies

Law enforcement officials said the yacht was undergoing repairs and the keys were inside it when it was stolen

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A San Diego man was accused of stealing a 60-foot yacht in Newport Beach and crashing it into several others boats before being taken into custody Thursday.

Police said Joel Siam was arrested on suspicion of grand theft of a boat and possession of a stolen boat, and held on $3 million bail.

Around 9 a.m., Siam was seen vandalizing a yacht near Balboa Bay Resort at 1200 West Coast Highway, according to Newport Beach police.

The man allegedly tried to take a Rolls Royce before piloting a yacht in Newport Beach and crashing it. Vikki Vargas reports March 10, 2022.

Police said Siam crossed the highway and commandeered a yacht in one of the slips. The 60-foot yacht was taken from a dock where it had been undergoing maintenance, so the keys were inside, according to sheriff’s deputies. Siam is accused of then driving the boat around the harbor and hit a couple other yachts in the process,

One woman sitting aboard a sailboat was injured in the crash.

It didn't stop there. The yacht could be seen doing donuts in the water, then speeding forward.

"When I looked out, the power boat really going fast," witness Sandi Morgan said. "I thought it was a runaway engine β€” that's what happens you can't stop the engine."

The demolition derby on the water ended when the boat finally smashed into one a vessel and then a sea wall.

"The poor owner of this boat it hit just had the boat restored, so they’re a little upset at moment," witness Kai Macartney said.

The owner of the yacht was seen surveying the damage midday afterward. 

The bow sustained the most damage, aerial footage showed. 

The owner of the stolen boat was too upset to go on camera but did tell NBCLA it was purchased new in August to be used for a charter business and that half a bottle of tequila from inside was now gone.

Siam was taken into custody by the harbor patrol. He is accused of felony hit-and-run and other charges.

NBCLA captured video of the suspect in a life jacket being put into a patrol car.

Police were initially called because Siam was allegedly trying to steal a Rolls-Royce along Pacific Coast Highway, before jumping into the boat.

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