Sausalito city manager arrested on yacht burglary suspicion

The newly appointed city manager of Sausalito, California, was arrested on suspicion of felony burglary early Saturday, July 18, 2026, after deputies found her aboard a yacht she did not own. Elaine Forbes, 53, was taken into custody at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor less than three weeks after beginning her $275,000-a-year role leading the small waterfront city's government.

Marin County Sheriff's deputies responded to a noise complaint at the harbor shortly before 7 a.m. and discovered Forbes on a 75-foot vessel. According to authorities, she told deputies the yacht was hers, said she was having a bad morning, and demanded they leave. Investigators contacted the boat's owner, who confirmed Forbes had no permission to be aboard. Witnesses reported hearing a boat horn sounding repeatedly before law enforcement arrived, and authorities alleged Forbes had been moving levers and switches as if attempting to operate the boat. Deputies noted that previously full bottles of alcohol on the vessel were empty.

Forbes was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary, with bail set at $50,000. As of Monday, July 20, prosecutors had not announced formal charges, and it was...