A prominent Florida real estate developer facing murder charges turned himself in to authorities last week, two years after his involvement in a 2022 boating accident that killed a teenage girl off the coast of Miami.
George Pino, 54, was operating a 29-foot vessel with his wife and 12 minor children on September 4, 2022, when they collided with a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing 17-year-old Luciana.・Mr. Fernandez was killed and another person was seriously injured. Prosecutors and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials say the boys are 17 and 16 years old.
Pino appeared in a Miami-Dade courtroom Thursday, surrounded by dozens of relatives and friends. The Miami Herald reported.. He has pleaded not guilty to felony charges for the September 2022 murder.
“We are disappointed in the state's surprising decision to file this felony charge after more than two years,” Pino's attorney Howard Srebnick told Fox News Digital in part.
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Luciana Fernandez was a 17-year-old high school student at the time of the fatal accident. (Instagram/Lucy Fernandes Foundation)
George Pino, 54, is charged with murder in the boating death of 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez. (George Pino's lawyer Howard Srebnick)
A judge last week ordered Mr. Pino to prison on charges of nautical homicide and reckless operation in the 2022 crash. He has since been released, according to the Miami-Dade docket.
Pino, who was on the boat to celebrate his daughter's birthday, refused a blood-alcohol level test immediately after the crash and told officials he wanted a lawyer present, according to the FWC report and civil lawsuit.
An FWC investigation into the incident last year found that Pino was not impaired by drugs or alcohol while operating the boat, based on his driving pattern.
Luciana's parents, Andres and Melissa Fernandez, said: “As our family had no choice but to accept the consequences of the accident, we also had to accept the many contradictions denied in the FWC report.'' It's insulting.” Previous statement to Fox News Digital.
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On September 4, 2022, George Pino's boat collided with a channel marker, killing 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez and injuring 10 others. (FWC report)
However, new body camera footage released last month showing Pino speaking with FWC officials after the accident shows him admitting to drinking two beers but refusing to provide a blood sample, authorities said. announced that Pino also refused a breathalyzer test. NBC6 reported.
An attorney for the Fernandez family told the magazine that prosecutors are reevaluating the case after a new witness — a Miami-Dade firefighter who responded to the boating accident — came forward and testified that alcohol was a contributing factor to the accident. He told the media that he had filed new charges. .
According to the FWC, a total of 61 empty alcohol bottles and cans, one empty champagne bottle and one half-filled liquor bottle were found on board.
“Officers at the scene of the accident determined that Pino was not under the influence of alcohol, that Pino was not exceeding the posted speed limit, that Pino had the required number of Coast Guard-approved life preservers on board, and that Pino was not under the influence of alcohol. Despite suffering a head injury himself (the necessary number) “Mr. Pino made heroic efforts to rescue the injured passengers, including jumping under the capsized boat,” Pino's attorney continued in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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The boat capsized after the collision and good Samaritans, along with response agencies, rescued the victims from the water. (FWC report)
Originally Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Pino charged with three misdemeanorsThese include one case of death due to careless operation of a vessel, and two cases of serious injury due to careless operation of a vessel.
The misdemeanor charge was dropped on Oct. 31, and he was charged with murder last month.
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“I hope the state attorney quickly recognizes that this is a tragic accident that is not a crime, much less a felony, and will not needlessly force all of the victims to relive this nightmare in a public courtroom.” We hope that the charges will be dismissed rather than proceeding to trial,'' Srebnick said in a statement.
Mr. Pino's next hearing is scheduled for January 8, 2025.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
