Rio Linda, CA — A Ukrainian immigrant’s decades-long dream turned into a nightmare after thieves made off with his sailboat and truck, leaving both vehicles wrecked before they were recovered, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Vassily Ozeruga moved to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1999, carrying with him a single ambition: to one day own his own sailboat. That dream finally came true last year when he bought the vessel, then spent 12 months restoring it before finally setting sail for the first time.
The celebration was short-lived. On the night of June 29, thieves broke into the family’s Sacramento property and made off with both the sailboat and the truck used to tow it.
Investigators say surveillance footage from a neighboring property shows two hooded suspects — one carrying a backpack — picking the truck’s lock, bypassing the ignition, and driving off with the boat still attached. Authorities say the entire theft was over in minutes.
Ozeruga’s daughter, Diana, told officials she got the call about the boat’s whereabouts early Thursday morning and rushed to the scene, where she found the sailboat abandoned in the middle of Ascot Road in Rio Linda.
The truck turned up a day earlier behind a nearby apartment complex, stripped of its catalytic converter and battery, with visible burn damage along one door.
Diana said her mother broke down after learning what happened, questioning why the family — who came to the country with nothing and never wronged anyone — was targeted.
According to the family, their insurance policy will not cover the damage to the truck, leaving them to absorb the repair costs on top of the emotional toll.
No arrests have been made. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says the case remains open, and the family is asking anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.