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The city manager of a Northern California city is set to be released from jail and required to submit to a psychiatric evaluation following her arrest over the weekend for allegedly trying to steal a yacht.
A Marin County Superior Court ordered that Elaine Forbes, the newly appointed city manager of Sausalito, voluntarily submit to a psychiatric evaluation at Marin General Hospital, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
However, Forbes has still been charged with misdemeanors, one count of prowling, two counts of unauthorized lodging, and one count of petty theft of personal property in connection with her arrest.
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Forbes has been held at the Marin County Jail with a $50,000 bail since her arrest on Saturday, according to jail records.
She did not enter a plea at the Wednesday hearing,according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Forbes was arrested by the Marin County Sheriff's Office on July 18, after deputies responded to a noise disturbance call from a resident at about 6 a.m. in the Sausalito Yacht Harbor at 501 Humboldt Avenue, according to police.
The yacht’s captain, Bill Aubrey, told NBC KNTV that he reported the incident after he heard a boat blaring its horn at about 5:30 a.m. and found Forbes inside the Lisa Marie's wheelhouse.
When deputies arrived, they determined that Forbes had broken into the three-story yacht and that she had allegedly manipulated the ship's controls in an attempt to steal the boat, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies took her into custody at about 6:50 a.m. and ultimately booked her into the Marin County Jail with criminal charges, according to the City of Sausalito.
Deputies initially booked Forbes into jail on suspicion of felony burglary, which has since been lowered to several misdemeanor charges.
Notably, a missing person report had been filed for Forbes on July 17, hours before she was arrested by the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
Forbes' family told SFGATE that she was experiencing a mental health crisis and asked for the public's understanding in this moment.
“We ask that no one rush to judgment based on limited information,” the statement to SFGATE reads. “As the facts become clearer and Elaine obtains legal and healthcare counsel in the coming hours and days, we hope people will respond with compassion, patience and respect for her and her family during an extraordinarily difficult time.”
City leaders also acknowledged that Forbes was going through a "very difficult and sensitive situation," as on July 16she met with the city council to request a leave of absence.
Forbes started the position on July 1, after being appointed as Sausalito's city manager on May 5 by the city council. Prior to her position with Sausalito, she served as San Francisco Port Director for nine years.
In a statement published on July 21, Sausalito Mayor Steven Woodside noted that Forbes' leave of absence was not a decision "regarding her employment."
"She remains on a leave of absence, and I want to assure everyone that we are gathering and evaluating all of the facts surrounding this matter," Woodside's statement reads.
To ensure that city business continues "seamlessly," city leaders have asked Chris Zapata, Sausalito’s former City Manager, to temporarily act in an advisory role for the city. Chris currently serves as the Assistant County Executive for the County of Marin.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sausalito city manager released from jail to undergo psych evaluation
