The estranged wife of embattled former Port of San Francisco executive director Elaine Forbes hurried to see her Monday after the Sausalito city manager’s unusual arrest aboard a yacht — but she did not post bail to secure Forbes’ release, The Post has learned.
Angela Cavillo, the longtime clerk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, visited Forbes while she was initially in custody Monday after her arrest on suspicion of felony burglary. Authorities said Forbes had been found aboard a 75-foot yacht in Sausalito.
For years, the two were viewed as a prominent San Francisco couple: Cavillo, a respected City Hall administrator, and Forbes, a high-profile figure leading the Port of San Francisco.
Their relationship unraveled in September 2022, when they separated, and divorce proceedings began in early 2023. Forbes later stunned political insiders in the affluent city when she abruptly resigned from her port post in September 2025.
Records obtained by The Post show Forbes and Cavillo reached a property settlement that split two Bay Area residences and obligated Forbes to make a six-figure payment.
As part of the October 2023 agreement, Forbes kept the couple’s home on 19th Street in San Francisco’s Dolores Heights/Eureka Valley area, near the Castro.
The pair valued the San Francisco property at $1.7 million after choosing not to put it on the market.
Cavillo, in turn, retained a lake house in Auburn that the two valued at $554,000.
The settlement recognized that Forbes had contributed $90,000 in separate funds toward the down payment.
Cavillo agreed to pay Forbes $90,000 to reimburse that contribution, with the agreement specifying that no remaining equity in the property would be divided. Cavillo was given one year to refinance the mortgage into her own name.
The agreement also required Cavillo to reimburse Forbes $5,000 for expenses related to preparing the San Francisco home for sale and awarded Cavillo sole ownership of a BMW. After accounting for the property division, Forbes agreed to pay Cavillo a net equalization payment of $242,500.
However, the divorce has not been finalized, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Reports have suggested alcohol played a central role in the incident over the weekend, but Forbes’ family is working with mental health professionals and attorneys as they navigate the aftermath.
“Elaine is experiencing a mental health crisis,” Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the family, said in a statement after the arrest.
“We ask that no one rush to judgment based on limited information.”
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The yacht’s captain, Bill Aubrey, told the San Francisco Standard he discovered previously full bottles of Grey Goose vodka and tequila empty after Forbes was found aboard the vessel. The captain also said Forbes appeared calm and cordial, greeting him with “Good morning!” when confronted inside the yacht’s wheelhouse.
“She didn’t seem disheveled,” Aubrey said, describing Forbes’ demeanor as “normal, friendly.”
Authorities say Forbes was discovered early Saturday morning aboard the yacht after its horn began blaring around dawn.
Investigators allege she initially claimed the boat belonged to her before the owner confirmed she did not have permission to be aboard.
She was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary.
Forbes is was being held on $50,000 bail, but she and her legal representative decided not to seek bail at this time as the legal situation plays out.
The arrest came just weeks after Forbes started her new $275,000-a-year job as Sausalito city manager — and only days after the City Council placed her on administrative leave during a closed-session meeting for reasons officials have not disclosed.
Forbes previously spent nearly a decade leading the Port of San Francisco, where she oversaw hundreds of employees and major waterfront redevelopment projects.
She was widely hailed for her professionalism and steady leadership of the port.
However, another source with knowledge of the situation told The Post that Forbes started to suffer from mental health issues as recently as last summer.
Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office was interested in finding a new port director and negotiating Forbes’ departure when she abruptly resigned from her post in September, the source told The Post.
Officials in the mayor’s office did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Sausalito’s City Council is expected to discuss the situation in closed session during its meeting Tuesday. City officials have declined to comment beyond confirming Forbes remains on administrative leave pending the ongoing investigation.
