Sausalito city manager resigns after alleged yacht burglary

The city manager of Sausalito has resigned from her position following her arrest in connection with a burglary in July.  

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Elaine Forbes, who started her position on July 1, is no longer employed by the city, according to a Tuesday statement from Sausalito Mayor Steven Woodside. Assistant City Manager Brandon Phipps will serve as the interim manager for the next six months.

Woodside said city officials “stand behind” Forbes as she takes time to focus on her well-being. 

Forbes was arrested on July 18 at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor after allegedly trying to steal a 66-foot yacht and consuming alcohol aboard the vessel. She is also accused of stealing the yacht owner’s clothing, KTVU-TV reported. Hours before she was found on the yacht, she was reported missing, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on July 20. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)

Before the arrest, just weeks into her new job, Forbes was already on a leave of absence, according to a statement from the city. Officials have not disclosed why she initially was on leave. 

According to a statement from Forbes’ family previously obtained by SFGATE, she was experiencing a “mental health crisis.” Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the family, told the Chronicle that Forbes also owns a houseboat in Sausalito and believed she was on her own boat. 

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Forbes was booked into Marin County jail on suspicion of burglary with $50,000 bail, SFGATE previously reported. On July 22, a judge ordered for her to be released and undergo a psychological evaluation, the Marin Independent Journal reported. 

Forbes pleaded not guilty to several misdemeanor charges from the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, including public intoxication while loitering, unauthorized lodging and petty theft, Randall Knox, her attorney confirmed to SFGATE. Knox told the Journal that Knox plans to apply for a diversion program.

Knox declined SFGATE’s request for comment on Forbes’ recent resignation.

According to Marin County court records, the woman who reportedly owned the yacht requested a restraining order against Forbes on July 24, but the case was dismissed on Aug. 13. 

Forbes is set to appear in court next on Sept. 30, records show.