PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Peter Umholtz, 35, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges including burglary and grand theft stemming from a break-in at Ways Boatyard near Palm Beach Gardens. He was sentenced to two years in prison, receiving credit for 172 days already served in the Palm Beach County Jail.
The case against Ana-Maria Ferreira, 37, who was arrested alongside Umholtz, remains open according to court records.
The unusual chain of events began earlier when the owner and employees of Ways Boatyard noticed two individuals peering into a docked boat inside the fenced-off yard. Upon confrontation, the suspects fled in a vehicle, which was followed by one of the employees. A crash occurred when the suspect’s vehicle abruptly stopped.
Ferreira complained of pain after the crash and allowed a detective to enter her car, where officers found a backpack identical to one used in an earlier boatyard burglary that day. Despite Ferreira’s denial of ever being at the boatyard, Umholtz told police that they often visited the site to get away from children. Authorities later discovered Umholtz had given stolen property, including a PlayStation game console, to Ferreira’s children.
A search warrant on the vehicle uncovered burglary evidence, including the backpack and paperwork from one of the burglarized boats. The stolen items were valued at approximately $3,030.
Both Ferreira and Umholtz faced burglary charges and violation of a no-contact order. Ferreira was arrested on a Friday and remained jailed the following Saturday. Umholtz was arrested on February 1 and also remained in custody.