Florida developer faces charges for holiday boat crash that killed 17-year-old girl and left another teen disabled

A Florida real property developer has been deed pinch a felony homicide complaint stemming from a 2022 vessel clang that killed a 17-year-old woman and near different disabled.

Miami-Dade prosecutors now judge George Pino, 53, committed 'vessel homicide,' a crime that could onshore him situation for up to 15 years if he's convicted.

On September 4, 2022, Pino was driving a 29-foot Robalo vessel pinch 13 others connected board, including his girl Cecilia Lianne Pino, who was celebrating her birthday.

The mostly of nan passengers were Cecilia's teenage friends. 

Pino yet struck a transmission marker successful nan Upper Keys adjacent Boca Chita Key, causing nan vessel to flip upside down and propulsion everyone overboard, according to prosecutors and officials pinch the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Almost everyone was injured, but 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez died and Katerina Puig, who was 18 astatine nan time, was near pinch debilitating and imperishable injuries that will preclude her from surviving an independent life.

Pino was initially charged pinch 3 misdemeanor counts of sloppy boating, which he has pleaded not blameworthy to.

The homicide complaint he now faces comes aft Kathya and Rodolfo Puig, nan parents of Katerina Puig, revenge a suit against Pino and his woman Cecilia.

The Puigs sued them for negligence, claiming Pino was drinking earlier nan clang and had provided nan teens connected committee pinch alcohol.

Cecilia, 49, was ordered successful May by Circuit Court Judge Migna Sanchez-Llorens to salary nan Puig's $16 cardinal pinch .934 percent interest.

An FWC incident study said authorities found 61 quiet intoxicant bottles and cans, 1 quiet champagne vessel and a half-empty liquor vessel connected nan boat, NBC 6 reported.

Despite this, nary 1 admitted to consuming nan intoxicant and Pino refused to return a breathalyzer trial because he didn't person an lawyer present.

A last FWC study released astir a twelvemonth aft nan clang concluded that Pino showed nary signs of impairment, but that he 'did run his alloy successful a sloppy mode by violating 4 navigational rules.'

For instance, he was piloting nan vessel astatine 45-47 miles per hour, which was a facet successful nan clang according to nan FWC.

An lawyer representing nan Fernandez family told NBC 6 that prosecutors took different look astatine nan lawsuit erstwhile a Miami-Dade firefighter who responded to nan clang came forward. 

The firefighter told prosecutors intoxicant was a facet successful nan crash, contradicting nan FWC report, according to nan Fernandez lawyer.

The Fernandez family thanked Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle successful a connection Thursday, praising her and her squad for their 'perseverance and dedication.'

Howard Srebnick, nan lawyer for nan Pinos, said nan caller complaint took him by surprise.

'I americium dismayed by nan State’s surprise-decision to record this caller complaint much than 2 years later,' Srebnick said successful a statement.

'Officers connected nan segment of nan clang wished that Pino was not intoxicated; Pino did not transcend immoderate posted velocity limit, Pino had nan required number of Coast Guard-approved life preservers connected committee nan vessel, and contempt sustaining a caput wounded himself (requiring 15 stitches), Pino made heroic efforts to rescue nan injured passengers, including diving nether nan capsized boat. This was an accident, not a crime, overmuch little a felony,' nan connection continued.

The Puig family besides reacted to nan caller complaint against Pino.

'The Puig family is grateful for nan State’s continued efforts successful prosecuting Mr. Pino for his reckless cognition of his alloy while transporting 12 teenage girls and resulting successful nan decease of Lucy Fernandez,' according to their statement.