Elaine Forbes, appointed foreman by the Sausalito city council three weeks ago, was arrested after breaking into someone else’s yacht.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office, California, said police discovered Elaine Forbes on a yacht at the Sausalito city harbor on the morning of July 19, while handling complaints from residents about noise.
Local media said Ms. Forbes told police she was “having a bad morning” and claimed it was her yacht, asking the public service to leave. Investigators then contacted the vehicle’s registrant and confirmed that Forbes had broken in illegally.
Ms. Forbes was arrested on charges of felony breaking and entering and was taken to the Marin County Detention Center, with bail set at $50,000.
Elaine Forbes. Image: SF Chronicle
Forbes, 53 years old, in May was appointed to the position of Sausalito city manager, the highest administrative position in the locality. She officially took office from July 1 with a salary of 275,000 USD per year.
Two days before the incident, the city council suspended Forbes from work without disclosing the reason. A spokeswoman for Forbes said she was going through “a mental health crisis”.
Forbes served as executive director of the Port of San Francisco for nine years. Previously, she held the positions of chief financial officer and deputy director of finance and administration of the port, and held many positions in the city governments of San Francisco and Oakland.