Two men charged with stealing Yamaha WaveRunners, other watercraft from Suffolk County properties
This is a file photo of a Yamaha WaveRunner, taken at a boat show in 2017. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
Two men from New York City have been indicted for allegedly stealing watercraft from private properties in Suffolk County in the fall of 2024.
Willis Estrella Genao, 28, of Brooklyn, and Carlos Torres Rodriguez, 27, of Howard Beach, were indicted on five counts of grand larceny for allegedly stealing the watercraft out of driveways and parking lots between October and December that year, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
According to a Suffolk DA news release, the men are charged with taking a 2020 Yamaha GP1800R SVHO and a trailer from the driveway of a Lindenhurst home; a 2022 Yamaha SHO, a 2018 Yamaha FX Cruiser, and trailer from the backyard of a home in Oakdale; a 2021 Yamaha GP1800R and a trailer from the side yard of a home in West Islip; a 2025 Yamaha boat and trailer from the parking lot of Spencer Leasing in Bay Shore; and a 2019 Sea-Doo GTX Limited and a trailer from the driveway of a home in East Islip.
Nassau County police arrested the men on Jan. 16, 2025 for allegedly stealing similar watercraft in Nassau County. Law enforcement officials were able to link the two to the Suffolk County thefts, Tierney's office said.
On the Suffolk charges, Genao was arraigned on Feb. 11 on one count of grand larceny in the second degree, a class C felony, and five counts of grand larceny in the third degree, class D felonies, the news release said. His attorney, Brandon Abbatiello, could not be immediately reached for comment.
On March 2, in Suffolk, Rodriguez was arraigned on one count of grand larceny in the third degree, a class D felony, the news release said. His attorney, Pierre Bazile, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Both were released on their own recognizance because their charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, according to the news release.
The defendants are both are due back in court on March 26, 2026. Genao faces up to 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count, according to the DA's office.
Rodriguez faces up to 2 ⅓ to 7 years in prison if convicted of the top count, the DA's office said.
Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.
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