Man charged with felony homicide in connection with boating accident that killed one teen, injured others

Miami-Dade State Attorney prosecutors announced they have charged George Pino in connection with a boating incident that took the life of 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez and severely injured others.

The incident occurred in Biscayne Bay over the 2022 Labor Day weekend.

On Thursday, prosecutors charged Pino, a real estate broker, with felony homicide for being intoxicated when he was behind the wheel of a boat full of teenagers that smashed into a channel marker near North Key Largo and capsized.

Pino was previously charged with reckless driving connected to the vessel crash.

A key witness in the case essentially sealed prosecutors' decision to charge Pino with the felony homicide charge.

According to the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter Matthew Smiley, who was among the first professionals on the scene of the incident, reportedly told prosecutors that Pino showed signs of being intoxicated following the crash.

According to the Florida Fish Wildlife Commission (FWC), Pino and his wife were chaperoning the teenagers, most of whom attended the all-girl Catholic schools, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy and Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, from Elliott Key in Biscayne National Park to Ocean Reef.

Pino told investigators he took his eyes off course for a second to check on the girls when the vessel collided with the marker. The impact sent everyone on board into the water and suffered injuries.

Fernandez was killed while the others were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

The family of one of the teens injured in the crash sued Pino, accusing him of being intoxicated and giving the kids alcohol.

If convicted of the felony homicide charge, Pino could face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The misdemeanor charges carry a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.