MIAMI – Prominent real estate broker George Pino surrendered to police Thursday 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.
He had been ordered last week to surrender by Nov. 21 by a Miami-Dade County judge. In court Thursday, prosecutors agreed that he should be released on own recognizance.
Noon report:
Pino was seen exiting the jail Thursday afternoon, when he rushed into a waiting SUV and was embraced by a family member inside.
Authorities said Pino, then 52, was behind the wheel of a 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4, 2022, when he lost control and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Lucy Fernandez, 17, and seriously injuring Katerina Puig, also 17, and another victim whose name has not been disclosed.
At the time, the Pino family and 30 others were on Elliot Key on several boats to celebrate their youngest daughter’s 18th birthday.
“September 4th, 2022 was meant to be a joyful day,” Pino’s niece, Sofia Castellanos, said.
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.”
“For reasons we still cannot fully comprehend, on our way back we accidentally hit a channel marker which resulted in the tragic loss of Lucy Fernandez and debilitating injuries to Katy Puig -- two amazing girls who we adore,” Castellanos said.
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.
“It’s my great hope that during the course of the next few months, as we have an opportunity to show the facts of the case, that perhaps the state attorney will understand that this was just an accident,” Pino’s attorney, Howard Schrebnick, said.
“If we could give up our lives to bring Lucy back, we would do so in an instant,” Castellanos said.