Real estate mogul George Pino ordered to surrender in vessel homicide case

MIAMI – Prominent real estate broker George Pino appeared in court Wednesday via Zoom after being charged with felony vessel homicide related to a boating accident that claimed the life of a young passenger more than two years ago.

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He was ordered to surrender by Nov. 21 by a Miami-Dade County judge.

Authorities said Pino, then 52, was behind the wheel of a 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4 when he lost control and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Lucy Fernandez and seriously injuring 17-year-old Katerina Puig and another victim whose name has not been disclosed.

At the time, Pino, his teenage daughter, her friends, and his wife were celebrating a birthday on the water, according to investigators.

Pino told detectives he lost control of the vessel after hitting a wave, stating, “The wheel turned a little bit and I lost full control and I think I turned.”

Pino initially faced three second-degree misdemeanor charges, but prosecutors have since escalated the charge to felony vessel homicide.

While investigators reported they did not believe alcohol was a factor, Pino declined a voluntary blood draw after admitting to drinking two beers earlier in the evening.

In May, a judge ordered Pino’s wife to pay $16 million to Puig’s family as part of a lawsuit settlement.

If found guilty, Pino could face up to 15 years in prison.


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Joseph Ojo joined Local 10 in April 2021. Born and raised in New York City, he previously worked in Buffalo, North Dakota, Fort Myers and Baltimore.

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Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

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