Man charged with stealing small airplane that crashed on a California beach

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — Police in California have arrested a man for allegedly stealing a small aircraft before crashing onto a beach. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office says deputies received a report of a small airplane landing in Half Moon Bay around 5 p.m. Thursday. Officers found the intact aircraft south of Poplar Beach, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. A photo posted on social media shows the plane tilted forward with its nose in the sand and tail pointed skyward. Deputies located a man matching the description of a person seen landing the plane and walking away. Luiz Gustavo Aires, 50, of Miami was charged with theft of an airplane. The plane is believed to have been stolen from an airport in Palo Alto, California.