Photo: Volusia Sheriff's Office
An arrest warrant has been issued for a man accused of abandoning his sailboat on a Florida beach. Michael John Grimes, 49, is wanted after allegedly dumping his vessel on New Smyrna Beach back in November, according to a Friday (January 26) social media post from the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
Deputies claim Grimes committed a felony violation of Florida's litter law, which applies to contents exceeding 500 pounds.
“Our beaches aren’t your dumping grounds,” the post reads. “We’ve been trying to get in contact with him since November, but he has not responded and has shown no intention of removing his boat.”
Sheriff Mike Chitwood told WKMG this was the first time they've had to deal with such a case. According to the sheriff, Grimes ordered an Uber back to his hotel after his vessel washed ashore. When the 49-year-old contacted the Coast Guard and Seatow, he was quoted a price of $15,000 to have the boat removed from the beach.
“He climbed over the dunes and called for an Uber and went back to his hotel room and then checked out the next morning,” Chitwood explained. “Usually, you get some kind of cooperation once we identify who has dumped their boat."
Officials said they don't know the whereabouts of Grimes at the time of reporting. Deputies stated his last known address was listed in Concord, California. The warrant carries national extradition, the sheriff's office noted.