Sausalito City Manager Arrested on Suspicion of Burglary at Sausalito Yacht Harbor

Neptune must have a beef with Sausalito right now. The popular waterfront town is in the news again, this time regarding the arrest of Sausalito city manager Elaine Christina Forbes. Forbes, 53, was arrested early on Saturday morning on charges of burglary. The alleged crime occurred at Sausalito Yacht Harbor on Humboldt Avenue at around 6:50 a.m. Saturday. Authorities responding to a call about a burglary found Forbes inside a boat that was not hers, Lt. Domenick Yazzolino of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office told the Marin Independent Journal (MIJ). Forbes told officers she was having a “bad morning” and told them to get off her boat, Yazzolino said.

The arrest came just three weeks after Forbes took office with Sausalito City Council. It was also just three days after Sausalito City Council (SCC) held a closed session to discuss Forbes, after which they issued a statement that Forbes was on administrative leave.

“The Sausalito City Council met in closed session today and approved a leave of absence for Elaine Forbes through September 8,” the statement said. “Assistant City Manager Brandon Phipps is Acting City Manager and will oversee the day-to-day responsibilities of City Manager during this period. In order to respect privacy rights and employment laws, the City will not further discuss this personnel matter.”

Neither Sausalito mayor Steven Woodside nor Phipps could be reached for comment on Sunday, the IJ reported. The Council did, however, release a statement saying they would not comment due to the ongoing investigation. They said the arrest was “a difficult development for our city staff and our community.”

Forbes has more than two decades of public-sector experience, including nine years as the San
Francisco Port Director (2016–December 2025), during which time she oversaw a complex public enterprise responsible for waterfront infrastructure, maritime operations, real estate, public access and long-term stewardship of public assets, the SCC website says.

She has worked with nonprofit land-use and economic-development organizations, including the Urban Strategies Council and the Western Center on Law and Poverty. She holds a master’s degree in urban planning from UCLA. “People from around the world save money and dream of coming to Sausalito for very good reasons. I’m incredibly honored to join this community,” Forbes said on Tuesday, May 5, at the City Council meeting during which her appointment to city manager was confirmed. We can only imagine that Forbes’ words to officers that she was having a “bad morning” were an understatement. We hope she finds the help she needs.

This is not the first time Sausalito Yacht Harbor has been the target of burglary. In 2013 the 82-ft Oyster Darling was stolen by three drunken sailors looking for a good time. Story here.