Man Charged With Stealing Small Airplane That Crashed On A California Beach

Police in California arrested a man for allegedly stealing a small aircraft before crashing onto a beach and leaving the scene.

Deputies received a report of a small airplane landing “near or on a beach” in Half Moon Bay around 5 p.m. Thursday, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Police said officers found the aircraft, intact but unoccupied, on the sand south of Poplar Beach, which is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco.

A photo posted on social media by the sheriff’s office showed a plane with striped wings tilted forward with its nose in the sand and tail pointed skyward.

Deputies located a man matching the description of a person seen landing the plane and walking away, police said.

Read more: AP