Mandelon
10-25-2003, 05:51 PM
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CORONADO A man discovered ransacking a boat at Coronado Cays caused a fire that spread to three vessels and a nearby home yesterday, then dived under the docks in a futile attempt to avoid capture, authorities said.
Three hours later, he was pulled naked and shivering from the water by divers from the San Diego Harbor Police. They went in to get him when streams from a water cannon, pepper rounds and exhortations from a hovering sheriff's helicopter failed to force him to surrender.
During the search, police blocked off streets in the bayside community and advised residents to stay indoors because of the possibility the man was armed. Onlookers watched the boat-to-dock hunt from the balconies of million-dollar homes.
The man arrested, Thomas Dwaine Tyler, 39, of Imperial Beach, was treated for hypothermia at a hospital before being booked on suspicion of burglary, arson and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
A flare that authorities said he fired toward officers confronting him landed in a boat, a 26-foot Bayliner. "It caught fire and the fire spread to two other boats," Coronado Police Chief Robert Hutton said yesterday. "He then dove in the water."
The fire also spread to a nearby home, but residents quickly put it out with garden hoses.
"I've lived here 18 years and never seen anything like this," said resident Ira Spector. "Until recently, the only crime here was someone occasionally breaking into a kayak."
The boat break-in was discovered about 7:30 a.m. when owner Larry Peterson went to check on his vessel. "Two guys were on my boat. One was looting it, piling up cushions and other belongings," he said. "The other guy was a lookout."
Police were called. The second man drove off but was arrested about a mile away. He later was identified as Martin Anthony Mosteller, 41, of San Diego. Mosteller was booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and violating probation, police said.
Estimates of the damage caused by the fires were not available.
In the commotion over the fire, the first man jumped into the water and hid under the docks in the narrow channel at the Cays' Jamaica Village. Authorities said he was able to breathe in small pockets of air under the docks.
Divers armed with weapons that fire underwater carefully treaded between expensive yachts and dinghies as they searched.
"We had officers fire pepper rounds into the water into an attempt to force him out," said Coronado police Detective Bill Canet.
Harbor Police cruising the docks tried to flush him out with powerful streams from a water cannon.
A sheriff's helicopter crew who spotted the man darting between boats and the dock urged him via loudspeaker to "come out of the water with your hands up. You will be allowed to dry off."
Tyler finally was pulled from the water about 11 a.m.
Police are unsure why he took his clothes off under water.
Authorities said there have been a series of boat burglaries in the area in recent weeks.
One of yesterday's fire-damaged boats belongs to Mark Russell, 36, who was going to get married aboard the vessel today.
"I heard all the commotion coming from my boat and I thought it was one of those marriage pranks, maybe somebody decorating it," Russell said. "Then I saw my boat was on fire."
Russell said the wedding will go ahead, just not on his boat.
CORONADO A man discovered ransacking a boat at Coronado Cays caused a fire that spread to three vessels and a nearby home yesterday, then dived under the docks in a futile attempt to avoid capture, authorities said.
Three hours later, he was pulled naked and shivering from the water by divers from the San Diego Harbor Police. They went in to get him when streams from a water cannon, pepper rounds and exhortations from a hovering sheriff's helicopter failed to force him to surrender.
During the search, police blocked off streets in the bayside community and advised residents to stay indoors because of the possibility the man was armed. Onlookers watched the boat-to-dock hunt from the balconies of million-dollar homes.
The man arrested, Thomas Dwaine Tyler, 39, of Imperial Beach, was treated for hypothermia at a hospital before being booked on suspicion of burglary, arson and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
A flare that authorities said he fired toward officers confronting him landed in a boat, a 26-foot Bayliner. "It caught fire and the fire spread to two other boats," Coronado Police Chief Robert Hutton said yesterday. "He then dove in the water."
The fire also spread to a nearby home, but residents quickly put it out with garden hoses.
"I've lived here 18 years and never seen anything like this," said resident Ira Spector. "Until recently, the only crime here was someone occasionally breaking into a kayak."
The boat break-in was discovered about 7:30 a.m. when owner Larry Peterson went to check on his vessel. "Two guys were on my boat. One was looting it, piling up cushions and other belongings," he said. "The other guy was a lookout."
Police were called. The second man drove off but was arrested about a mile away. He later was identified as Martin Anthony Mosteller, 41, of San Diego. Mosteller was booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and violating probation, police said.
Estimates of the damage caused by the fires were not available.
In the commotion over the fire, the first man jumped into the water and hid under the docks in the narrow channel at the Cays' Jamaica Village. Authorities said he was able to breathe in small pockets of air under the docks.
Divers armed with weapons that fire underwater carefully treaded between expensive yachts and dinghies as they searched.
"We had officers fire pepper rounds into the water into an attempt to force him out," said Coronado police Detective Bill Canet.
Harbor Police cruising the docks tried to flush him out with powerful streams from a water cannon.
A sheriff's helicopter crew who spotted the man darting between boats and the dock urged him via loudspeaker to "come out of the water with your hands up. You will be allowed to dry off."
Tyler finally was pulled from the water about 11 a.m.
Police are unsure why he took his clothes off under water.
Authorities said there have been a series of boat burglaries in the area in recent weeks.
One of yesterday's fire-damaged boats belongs to Mark Russell, 36, who was going to get married aboard the vessel today.
"I heard all the commotion coming from my boat and I thought it was one of those marriage pranks, maybe somebody decorating it," Russell said. "Then I saw my boat was on fire."
Russell said the wedding will go ahead, just not on his boat.