Central California Police Believe Missing Man Stole Airplane That Vanished Over Pacific

WATSONVILLE (AP) - Police investigating a small plane that was stolen out of a central California airport and vanished from radar last month say they believe the suspect is a missing man who was a member of a local flying club.

Watsonville police identified 64-year-old Hugo Mar as the suspected thief, KGO-TV reported. Police believe Mar crashed the plane.

Mar's family reported him missing since July 1.

Mar has no history with police. He was a licensed private pilot and a member of the Santa Cruz Flying Club, which owned the stolen plane, a single-engine Cessna. The club operates out of the Watsonville Municipal Airport, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Santa Cruz.

The plane was reported stolen from the airport on June 27, the day after video footage shows the airplane taxiing toward the runway. The police do not have surveillance of Mar entering the plane and taking off.

Mar attempted to reserve the plane on the day it was stolen, a request the club denied.

Detectives found Mar's abandoned car at an airport parking lot used by pilots.

Federal investigators said the plane disappeared from radar about 3 miles (5 kilometers) out and over the Pacific Ocean from the Santa Cruz coast. The U.S. Coast Guard did not find any wreckage or a body.

Mar was authorized to enter the airport, but police do not know his motivation for stealing the plane.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press.