Ocean paddler vanishes, cops say

Lauderdale man owed $500K in child support, due in court same day

Constantine Theoharis owed more than a half million dollars in child support and was to face a Broward County judge on the day he vanished.

That was on March 20, when police say Theoharis, 52, was last seen paddling north on a board in the Atlantic Ocean off Fort Lauderdale beach.

Nine days later, Theoharis was being called a missing person and was sought by detectives.

Theoharis’ nickname is “Con,” presumably a shortened version of his first name. He is a divorced father of two sons, ages 14 and 17. His ex-wife Stacy Theoharis is su-

ing him for unpaid child support, her attorney, Terrence O’Connor, said Wednesday.

Theoharis lives in the 3000 block of North Atlantic Boulevard, close to East Oakland Park Boulevard and near what police said was the last sighting of him.

Richard Theoharis told WFOR-Ch. 4 about his brother, “He’s very capable on the paddleboard, so it seems fishy to me.”

Theoharis missed the March 20 court hearing and it was reset for Tuesday, when he also failed to appear. He is scheduled to be deposed on April 23.

“He’s scared that he’s probably going to get thrown in jail,” Richard Theoharis told the television station. “So maybe, you know, he faked all of this.”

O’Connor, the attorney, said he filed a motion in December 2017 on behalf of Stacy Theoharis seeking $549,351, which he said her ex-husband owes. That figure does not include interest.

Theoharis also has not paid an estimated $30,000 in child support for the first three months of 2018, the lawyer said.

It is not known what Theoharis does for a living. His relatives have not replied to messages seeking information about their loved one, and Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman Casey Liening said she did not have additional details to share about the man’s life or the ongoing police investigation.

The mystery surrounding Theoharis’ disappearance is reminiscent of the case of Guma Aguiar, a married, 32-year-old Fort Lauderdale father of four young children whose fortune came from oil and gas exploration.

Aguiar disappeared while at sea at sunset on June 19, 2012. A Fort Lauderdale police missing persons report said he required medication and was depressed.

Aguiar had taken his 30-foot Jupiter center-console boat — called the T.T. Zion — from his Rio Vista Isles neighborhood through Port Everglades and into the Atlantic Ocean. That night, there were 4-to-5 foot swells.

The next day, the T.T. Zion, empty of its captain, drifted ashore on Fort Lauderdale beach in front of the Elbo Room bar. Aguiar left behind a reported $100 million estate, and in January 2015, a Broward County judge declared him dead.

Police describe Theoharis as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing approximately 160 pounds and dark haired.

On the day he disappeared, Theoharis was reportedly using a Riviera brand paddleboard, the 11.6 feet All-Arounder model, in a stressed white shade. It has a single fin box with black cords to strap down gear.

His family has strong ties to Fort Lauderdale and own the Egg N You diner in Wilton Manors. Another company runs the restaurant, records show.

Anyone with information about Theoharis is asked to call Detective Juan Cabrera at 954-828-5581.

Theoharis