Mass. shark sightings
Police: Mass. Man fabricated shark sighting
7/11/2008, 5:01 p.m. EDT
The Associated Press
EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — A 60-year-old man is facing a disorderly conduct charge after allegedly lying about seeing two great white sharks off a Martha Vineyard's beach.
Edgartown Police Chief Paul Condlin said Michael Lopenzo warned people to get out of the water at the Joseph Silva State Beach on Thursday. Lopenzo claimed he had seen two sharks about 22 feet long and 3,000 pounds each while he was fishing.
Officials closed the beach, but Condlin said investigators later determined Lopenzo was lying.
Condlin say Lopenzo gave the name of a nonexistent boat and owner to detectives investigating the sighting.
Attempts to reach Lopenzo were not immediately successful.
A second beach was closed Thursday on the island — where the movie "Jaws" was filmed — after lifeguards at South Beach said they might have seen a great white shark.
The beaches were reopened Friday.
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