(KRON) — A man who stole a single-engine airplane from Palo Alto before landing on a beach in Half Moon Bay in order to “show the government that airports lack proper security,” according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, was sentenced in court Friday after pleading no contest.
Luiz “Sunrock” Gustavo Aires will serve no more jail time after a court sentenced him to 605 days in county prison with 615 days credit for time served and good conduct. Aires, 50, will be under mandatory supervision for 125 days and must pay $58,000 in restitution to the airplane’s owner. He must also abstain from alcohol and drugs, possess no dangerous weapons, and be subject to chemical testing, genetic marker testing and search and seizures.
On Feb. 8, Aires walked onto the tarmac at Palo Alto Airport and got into a private American Champion airplane. Starting the single-engine plane without a key, he took off and flew over the San Francisco Peninsula’s coastal mountains before landing in the sand between Poplar and Redondo beaches in front of shocked witnesses.
Aires told authorities that he learned how to fly while growing up in Brazil. The $150,000 aircraft was not seriously damaged in the landing, prosecutors said.
Inside Aires’ backpack, deputies uncovered identification belonging to three other people. Aires faced three misdemeanor charges of ID theft before they were dismissed as part of a negotiated plea.
In May, Aires was committed to the California Department of State Hospitals after being found not competent to stand trial. On September 30, criminal proceedings resumed after Aires was restored to competency.
