Accused Plane Thief Charged With Felony, 3 Misdemeanors

HALF MOON BAY, CA — A Florida man was charged Tuesday with a felony and three misdemeanors after prosecutors allege he stole a small aircraft from Palo Alto and ditched the plane on a Peninsula beach last week.

Investigators said a witness called 911 to report a plane making an emergency landing in the sand south of Poplar Beach around 5 p.m. Thursday and described a man seen walking away from the scene. Deputies located the plane intact and unoccupied and soon located a man who matched the description given by the witness.

According to the sheriff's office, investigators learned the aircraft was stolen from Palo Alto and arrested the man on suspicion of stealing the plane. He was identified as Luiz Gustavo Aires, 50, of Miami.

Aires was arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges, including felony aircraft theft, according to the district attorney's office. He also faces three misdemeanor counts alleging possession of identifying information.

The Mercury News reports investigators confiscated credit cards and personal information belonging to three victims in the man's backpack after his arrest. According to the newspaper, Aires pleaded not guilty to the charges and asked to act as his own attorney — a request the judge denied.