Three men charged in February boat fire

Two men were arrested Monday and another remains at large in a Islamorada marina fire that did more than $800,000 in damage to three boats in February.

Joseph Marks, 45, and Nicholas Toby John, 22, both formerly of Seattle, Washington, were both charged with accessory to arson.

Angelo Marks, 45, who has a previous address in Mesa, Arizona, was charged with arson.

Angelo Marks remains at large.

Two boats were destroyed and another was damaged in the 1 a.m., Feb. 11, 2019 fire at the Coral Bay Marina, 601 Mastic St., in Islamorada.

The fire was deemed suspicious and was investigated by Sheriff’s Office Detectives and the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office arrived to find two vessels engulfed and another catching fire. A $250,000, twin-hull, 34-foot Glacier Bay (Double Agent) and a $450,000, 50-foot Sea Ray Express Cruiser (Good Hair Day II) were destroyed in the fire. A 45-foot twin-hull (Snorkel Express) was also damaged in the fire, but not to the extent of the other two. The Snorkel Express suffered $115,439 in damages. The boats were all dry docked.

Angelo Marks was seriously injured in the fire. Angelo Marks called 911 Communications staff about 5:12 a.m. later that morning to tell them he was involved in an accident with a boat at the marina and he was at a hospital in Miami.

Angelo Marks had been hospitalized for months after the incident due to the serious injuries he sustained in the fire.

One witness told Deputy Wardell Hanna he heard several loud explosions near the boat area and looked out his window to see a dark-colored pickup truck and a man on fire running away from the scene and toward the truck.

A second witness told Sgt. Vaughn O’Keefe she heard a loud noise, looked out her window and saw three men standing near a dark-colored pickup up truck with one man holding a stick that was on fire. The witness stated she saw the man throw the stick into an already burning boat before leaving in the pickup truck.

A third witness reported talking two men who told her they were working on a boat (the Double Agent) that was having electrical issues. The boat was reported on fire moments thereafter.

Anyone with information about this crime or Angelo Marks’ whereabouts should contact the Sheriff’s Office at 305-853-3211. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-471-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and if a tip leads to an arrest in the case, the caller may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips may also be submitted online at www.floridakeyscrimestoppers.com or via a text message using the smartphone app called P3 Phone. Tips can also be submitted via social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the @CrimeStoppers305 hashtag.

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