Credit: SeaWorldThousands of dollars worth of stolen property have been recovered after being stolen from a SeaWorld theme park.
According to LMT, a man identified as Carlos Sanchez III has been charged with two counts of theft of property after Homeland Security Investigations provided information that led to his arrest.
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This follows the theft of two vehicles – both Ford F-250 Super Duty pickups, valued at roughly $50,000 apiece – from the parking lot of SeaWorld San Antonio.
Sanchez was reportedly arrested after both vehicles were identified outside an apartment complex in the 3600 block of East Del Mar Boulevard. While he denied knowledge of the stolen vehicles, he provided inconsistent statements and cellphone analysis also confirmed his involvement in the case.
Theft at SeaWorld San Antonio
As Inside the Magic has previously reported, these thefts aren’t the first crimes to occur on SeaWorld San Antonio property. In August 2023, a man visiting the marine theme park returned to his SUV at the end of the day, only to find it sat on bricks after someone stole all four wheels.
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Another parkgoer previously detailed a separate incident of SeaWorld San Antonio theft in a TripAdvisor review in 2018, complaining that their vehicle was broken into while they were in the park – and that they weren’t the only guest affected. “We parked in the preferred parking section near the front entrance where us & SEVERAL other vehicles had [their] belongings or had their credit/debit cards stolen,” they wrote. “We had our door lock mechanism punched in with a device & our credit cards removed from our wallets & wallets returned to the position to make it look like they weren’t touched.”
They added that they only found one security guard in the parking lot, who claimed to be the only one working the entire area. “Future travelers to San Antonio SeaWorld please do not leave any valuables in your vehicle,” they wrote. “They have lack of security in parking areas & will not answer any questions as for security cameras in parking lots. You would think a big establishment such as SeaWorld they would have better parking lot security!!!”
SeaWorld San Antonio later responded to the complaint, explaining that “a thief with motive, means and a desire is difficult at times to thwart” and that “SeaWorld Security Officers make every effort to provide a safe and secure park for our guests.”
Another TripAdvisor review from 2021 claimed that their $82,000 truck was also stolen from the parking lot. “The super nice police officer that respond stated that SAPD is there at least once a day for burglaries,” they wrote, “or in our case the entire vehicle & all of [our vacation] contents.”
For guests parking at SeaWorld San Antonio, the main attractions are the park’s resident animals – including five orcas – and its ever-growing lineup of thrill rides, such as The Great White, Texas Stingray, Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster, Tidal Surge, and Riptide Rescue. Its most recent addition, Catapult Falls, the world’s first launched flume ride, debuted earlier this month.
Have you ever visited SeaWorld San Antonio? Are you surprised by high crime rates in the area? Let us know in the comments!