SAN DIEGO — The man accused of breaking onto a boat docked at the Marriott Marina and terrorizing two teen girls made his first court appearance Wednesday. The incident happened late Sunday night.
29-year-old Isaac Cyriaque pleaded not guilty to assault, burglary and false imprisonment charges. If convicted on all charges, he faces life in prison.
On Monday, CBS8 spoke with one of the victims, who wants to remain anonymous."We heard footsteps on the boat. We were extremely freaked out," the teen said.
She explained what happened, saying she and her two friends were hanging out on the family boat. When they left, Cyriaque, who she described as a transient, approached them in the parking lot.
One girl got away in her car. The other two ran back to the boat and hid inside.
Cyriaque reportedly followed them, managed to get around a locked gate at the dock and then onto the boat.
"He was coming closer to me and my friend and we grabbed an antique sword on the wall and used it in self-defense," said the teen.
That didn't stop Cyriaque, who she says grabbed her during the terrifying ordeal.
"Especially when he grabbed my wrist, I thought this was the end. I'm not going to get out of this," said the girl.
The girls screamed, which prompted a veteran on a nearby boat to run out and help, disarming and holding Cyriaque down until Harbor Police came and arrested him.
"The courage it took them to create a defensive position. If they hadn't screamed, I wouldn't have known which boat to get on," said Jason Miller.
Cyriaque is being held without bail. His next court appearance is Dec. 9.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego Harbor Police arrest man after following teen girls onto boat (Nov. 2022).