Duo accused of stealing boat GPS units at Lighthouse Point marina

Cops say 1 tried swimming away

Photos Emmanuel Etienne and Willie Jones (BSO)

LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. — Lighthouse Point police say they caught two men who stole high-end marine GPS units overnight Tuesday.

It happened just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Port 32 Marina at 2831 Marina Circle. Authorities said it’s been the site of multiple boat burglaries over the past several months.

Police said they were called out to the marina after a witness saw two men, later identified as Emmanuel Etienne, 22, of northwest Miami-Dade, and Willie Jones, 21, of Miami, arrive in a Mercedes-Benz sedan, hop a fence and board vessels to remove items.

Authorities said they arrived to find one of the men in the car about to drive off. They said he later ran into a neighborhood and a K-9 dog located him behind a set of bushes.

Officers found the other suspect swimming away, police said.

Police said they determined that “multiple vessels had been unlawfully entered” and found two Garmin GPS units in the trunk of the Mercedes and burglary tools inside the vehicle.

Jail records show Etienne and Jones are both facing burglary and grand theft charges. Etienne is facing additional charges of resisting arrest and possessing burglary tools.

Both men were being held in the Broward County jail as of Wednesday on bonds of more than $30,000.

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About The Author
Chris Gothner

Chris Gothner

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.