Sausalito City Manager Elaine Forbes was arrested on suspicion of felony burglary after allegedly being found inside a yacht that did not belong to her. She was held at Marin County Jail on $50,000 bail. Angela Calvillo, clerk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Forbes' ex-wife, visited Forbes in jail but did not post her bail.
Forbes, 53, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor on Saturday morning. Authorities found her inside a 66-foot yacht named the Lisa Marie, according to ABC7. The yacht's owner, Captain Bill Aubrey, told the station that Forbes activated the yacht's horn, windshield wipers, and spotlight.
Forbes had been experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a family spokesman. She reportedly left her San Francisco home in a disoriented state on Thursday. A former coworker reported her missing on July 17, and she was entered into the Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Forbes was located early July 18, removed from the system, and arrested.
Forbes began her role as Sausalito city manager on July 1, earning $275,000 annually. She had previously led the Port of San Francisco for nine years. Two days before her arrest, the Sausalito City Council approved her leave of absence through September 8, appointing Assistant City Manager Brandon Phipps as acting city manager.
Forbes and Calvillo, who were a prominent couple in San Francisco government, separated in September 2022. Their marriage was officially dissolved in June 2024. Court records indicate a property agreement divided assets, including homes and vehicles. Calvillo did not post Forbes’ bail, and Forbes’ legal representatives decided not to seek her immediate release while the situation was assessed.
Investigators found evidence of tampered vessels in the marina. The owner of the Lisa Marie, Andy Cunningham, reported that clothing had been tried on, food and alcohol appeared to have been consumed, and bottles of alcohol were strewn throughout the vessel. Forbes reportedly told officers to leave what she described as her boat and stated she was having a "bad morning." The family has asked for compassion and patience as they navigate the situation, emphasizing Forbes' mental health crisis.