Police arrest man in connection with Monday morning burglary at Morro Bay Maritime Museum

MORRO BAY, Calif. (KEYT) – A 45-year-old man was taken into custody in connection with a burglary at the Morro Bay Maritime Museum and nearby city boat yard.

On Monday, Jan. 5, around 8:58 a.m., officers were dispatched after reports of a burglary at the Morro Bay Maritime Museum at 1154 Front Street were received stated the Morro Bay Police Department in a press release Wednesday.

Responding officers were directed to three donation boxes that had been broken in to and vandalized noted the Morro Bay Police Department.

The thief was able to remove an unknown amount of money from the donation boxes and officers saw that the nearby secured yard of the Morro Bay city boat yard had also been broken into added the Morro Bay Police Department.

According to Morro Bay Police, surveillance footage showed a single suspect wearing a white t-shirt around his face, a plaid shirt, jeans, and a gray backpack breaking into the donation boxes.

At 11:15 a.m. of the same day, officers were called to an unrelated disturbance in the 700 block of Quintana Road and spotted a man wearing the exact same outfit captured on surveillance footage detailed the Morro Bay Police Department.

The man had a gray backpack that matched the one captured in the earlier surveillance video next to him as well as a white t-shirt noted the Morro Bay Police Department.

Officers searched the man and found several items stolen from boats in the city yard and a pair of bolt cutters and the 45-year-old admitted to using the bolt cutters to break into the donation boxes and boat yard explained the Morro Bay Police Department.

The man was arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on multiple charges including petty theft with a prior conviction, vandalism, and possession of burglary tools.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing and anyone with more information is asked to contact the Morro Bay Police Department at 805-772-6225.