Marathon – A routine check of new vessels in Boot Key harbor Sunday resulted in the recovery of a large amount of stolen property and the arrest of the man who possessed it.
Deputy Wilfredo Guerra was on board one of the Marathon City Pump Out vessels in Boot Key Harbor with a Marathon city employee. The two men were doing a routine check of new vessels in the harbor to make sure they had proper facilities on board. As they pulled up to the second of three new vessels they were checking, they announced themselves. A man later identified as 35 year old Mauricio Gonzalez came on deck from below. Deputy Guerra told Gonzalez what they were there for and went below decks. Once there, he saw two outboard engine on the floor. He immediately recognized one of them as having been reported stolen earlier in the day. After checking the serial number on it, it was confirmed as stolen. The second motor was also confirmed as being stolen. Gonzalez was placed under arrest. He initially gave officers a false name, but his real name was discovered when he was booked at the jail.
Further investigation by Detectives Bobby Burkett and John Underwood revealed a large amount of stolen property on board the vessel. A stolen dinghy was also tied up to it.
Gonzalez has been charged with two counts of grand theft and resisting arrest. More charges are pending as Detectives unravel who all the property belongs to.