A Chicago yacht owner was killed after confronting two women who sneaked onto his boat overnight to take Snapchat photos, police said.

Nabil Abzal, 63, drowned in Lake Michigan after the altercation around 2.43am on August 30, 2025.

He was escorting the trespassers off his vessel when he encountered Alexis Trader, 34, who allegedly punched him in the head sending him sprawling into the water, police said.

Trader allegedly unlocked the entrance to the dock where Abzal's yacht was moored, according to CWB Chicago.

Two women then boarded the 41-foot vessel and began taking snapshots for social media on the rear deck while Abzal was asleep below, police said.

Abzal discovered them and peacefully accompanied the women off the boat, authorities said.

When this happened, Trader allegedly punched Abzal in the head causing him to strike a metal grate and fall into the water.

Surveillance footage allegedly captured the sound of the brutal punch and showed Abzal falling into the water and sinking.

Trader was arrested last Wednesday and charged with first degree murder. 

After the altercation, Trader called 911 to report that the yacht owner had fallen into the water, prosecutors said.

He allegedly used the fake name Young James to speak with law enforcement, CBS Chicago reported.

Trader remained on the dock and spoke with police once they arrived, according to assistant Cook County state's attorney Mike Pekara.

A nearby fisherman also encountered Trader after hearing Abzal fall in.

Trader allegedly told him that someone had fallen into the water and suggested the fisherman dive in to help.

He then grabbed what appeared to be a wallet and left in a rideshare vehicle, according to prosecutors.

Divers with the Chicago Fire Department recovered Abzal's body about 10 minutes after police arrived and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Abzal was affectionately known around his community as Captain Bill.

'He loved being Capt. Bill,' Laura Abzal, his wife, told the Chicago Tribune. 'But he was so much more than that.'

She honored her late husband as a, 'humble man who would be a bit embarrassed by all the attention he is receiving'.

Abzal would sleep on his boat four or five times per week during the summer, according to prosecutors. 

Police said they identified Trader after reviewing surveillance footage, phone records from his 911 call and witness statements.

This included testimony from one of the women who boarded Abzal's yacht to take photos. She later appeared before a grand jury and identified Trader to investigators.

Abzal's death was only investigated as a murder when boat staffers found rolling papers and vapes aboard the ship.

Trader had an extensive criminal history before his alleged attack on Abzal, according to prosecutors.

He currently faces at least three open cases, including charges tied to an alleged assault on a gas station attendant last January, two burglaries from April and a DUI arrest one week before Abzal's death.

In the gas station incident, Trader allegedly punched the clerk because he believed the worker was staring at him.

This broke the victim's nose and landed him an aggravated battery charge.

Trader was already being held in Cook County Jail when he was charged with murder in Abzal's death.

He has been behind bars since September in connection with the gas station attack.

On Thursday, Trader was ordered to remain detained while his trial is pending.

Cook County Judge John Hock said in a court order that Trader allegedly had a pattern of assaulting random people.

Trader's next court appearance is scheduled for February 23.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Chicago Police Department for further comment.