MIAMI — Jurors found estate mogul George Pino, accused of causing a boat crash in 2022 that killed his daughter’s 17-year-old friend and left another teen disabled, not guilty on two criminal charges Monday evening.
Pino, 55, was charged with manslaughter and vessel homicide.
He did not testify in his trial and if he had been convicted, Pino faced anywhere between 11 to 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors accused Pino, then 52, of being reckless when he lost control of his 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4, 2022 and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Lucy Fernandez. Two other girls were seriously hurt, including 17-year-old Katerina Puig, who was left permanently disabled.
The teens were on his boat celebrating his daughter’s 18th birthday.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments, and, for the former, an additional rebuttal, mid-Monday afternoon.
Prosecutors argued in closing arguments that Pino was reckless and that there was no reason for him to crash his boat.
“He was reckless and negligent,” Assistant State Attorney Laura Adams said. “No one but this defendant decided the speed or path or direction of travel. No one and nothing is responsible for the death of Lucy Fernandez except that man.”
They pointed out that while it is not a BUI case, alcohol was part of the story that afternoon.
“He was going full throttle!” Adams argued. “With all these teens on board that had consumed alcohol.”
Pino’s defense team, however, argued the crash was a horrible accident and not the result of negligence.
“It’s not enough that a human failed to do everything they could in a moment in time,” attorney Howard Srebnick said. “It requires a purposeful act of indifference to his passengers.”
After closing arguments wrapped up, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez then read jury instructions.
Following the reading of the verdict, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle released the following statement:
Speaking outside the courtroom following the trial’s conclusion, Srebnick said he believes the truth prevailed, but there are no winners.
“Lives were changed. George Pino has always been held accountable for that,” said Srebnick. “Today, thankfully, we won’t be branded a criminal for what we all know is just an accident.”
He went to say that Pino is apologetic for the incident.
“He’s deeply sorry for what happened,” said Srebnick. “We’re all grieving for what happened on that day. Let’s hope that over time, those wounds can heal.”
The Pino family released the following statement to Local 10 News.
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