An Unalaska man is accused of burglarizing a boat in Captains Bay — the same boat that burned in a mysterious fire last month.
Geoffrey Edwards, 41, faces three felonies and a misdemeanor charge after allegedly stealing more than $3,000 worth of items from the M/V Rebecca.
According to court documents, the Department of Public Safety received a call on Aug. 20 that the Rebecca was smoldering and appeared to have been burning through the night.
Police are still investigating the fire.
A jacket and sunglasses left behind at a nearby boat led police to Edwards — as did an anonymous caller that saw Edwards’ boat near the Rebecca on Aug. 19.
The Rebecca’s owner — Mark Buchholz — told police that several items had been stolen from his vessel in the last month, including a tarp, a propane tank, and a captain’s chair.
Days later, Public Safety found the stolen items aboard Edwards’ boat, the M/V Darby Shannon.
Edwards told police he knew the Rebecca belonged to Buchholz, but under maritime law, Edwards said he was allowed to remove equipment from an abandoned vessel.
Edwards is out on bail after his arrest on Aug. 27.
His next court appearance is set for Sept. 15.
