Benicia police arrested two men and one woman they’re accusing in connection with an attempt to steal a kayak Tuesday evening, Lt. Frank Hartig said.

And there may be a connection to Monday’s thwarted burglary on the 1200 block of West K Street, he added.

Police were called about 7:58 p.m. Tuesday from a resident in the 110 block of West K Street who said some people might be trying to steak a neighbor’s kayak. The suspects had taken the kayak to Matthew Turner Park on West 12th Street, where they were trying to load it on top of a vehicle, Hartig said.

Benicia police officers arrived to find four people around a vehicle with a kayak.

The person who called the department agreed to go to the park to identify the people he had seen taking the kayak, Hartig said.

He said three of the four were arrested and charged with possession of the stolen watercraft. In addition, the three were identified as being on court probation for crimes.

Hartig said the three were Robert Correa, 27, of Hayward; Thomas Gorrell, 36, of Moraga; and Betty Boyd, 45, of Napa. The three were accused of possessing stolen property, criminal conspiracy and probation violations.

Correa has been on probation from Alameda County on a narcotics violation charge. Gorrell has been on probation out of Solano County for a weapons charge, and Boyd has been on probation from Solano County for a burglary charge, Hartig said.

The three have been booked into Solano County Jail, Fairfield.

After officers were able to locate and speak with the owner of the kayak, the craft was returned to his home.

“This is a great example of citizens in Benicia getting involved and helping to look out for their neighbors,” Hartig said. “Without this citizen’s help, it is quite possible we would not have caught the suspects in the act of stealing this kayak.”

But that isn’t the only help the resident gave police, he said.

The department’s detectives have been continuing their investigation into an attempted residential burglary in the 1200 block of West K Street that occurred early Monday, Hartig said. Through Benicia detectives’ investigation of that case, he said, “It was determined that some of the individuals involved in the theft of the kayak are also possibly associated with the residential burglary from the day prior.”

In the earlier burglary, some of the stolen property had been discarded when a neighbor interrupted the thieves and called police. The neighbor then followed the suspects and observed a vehicle with which the suspects were associated. Another neighbor used vehicles to prevent the supposed burglars from driving out of a parking lot.

The suspected individuals abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot, eluding police, Hartig said.

“However, if it were not for the witness providing updates to the police dispatcher, it is extremely likely the burglary would have been completed, and all of the property would have been stolen,” Hartig said.

“In this case, most if not all of the stolen property was recovered including valuable evidence that will assist police in identifying the suspects.”

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