OXNARD : Car Theft Leaves Boat Owner High and Dry

Mark Stuart’s day got off to a bad start Tuesday.

Someone slipped onto the Oxnard resident’s boat about 2:30 a.m., stole his car keys and zoomed off with his prized sports car, police said.

To make sure he couldn’t pursue, the thief untied Stuart’s boat from its docking and pushed it away from the slip before escaping, according to police.

Four hours later, patrols at the Channel Islands Harbor found the maroon Corvette under eight feet of water at the end of a launch ramp. Police are trying to determine a motive in the theft, said police spokesman David Keith.

Keith would not say if police have a suspect. Besides the car and keys, no other items were taken from Stuart’s boat, he said.

An Oxnard Fire Department diver managed to attach chains to the Corvette’s undercarriage and the car was pulled from the water, police said.

Stuart got some good news: The Corvette was not destroyed, Keith said.

“It’s a little wet, but it’s probably salvageable,” Keith said.