Man steals not 1, but 2 boats on NYC's Hudson River, police say
NEW YORK - A man stole not one, but two boats from the piers along the Hudson River early Thursday morning on Manhattan's West Side, police said.
Police sources said 22-year-old Juan Hernandez first stole a decommissioned fire boat around 2:30 a.m. from Pier 66 at 27th Street and 12th Avenue near Hudson Yards. Witnesses reported seeing him untie the boat's ropes and set off into the water.
He drifted on the boat for about 30 minutes, traveling a half mile south to Pier 64, where the boat got stuck. He then jumped into the water, swam to shore and stole a sailboat, police sources said.
Police said Hernandez continued for another 30 minutes down to Pier 51, where he was taken into custody and charged with two counts of grand larceny auto.
He was on the water for around an hour, traveling about a mile down the shore of Hudson River Park along Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.
Police did not release any information about why he stole the boats. He is believed to be homeless and does not have any prior arrests, sources said.
Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
