Jury acquits South Florida broker in deadly Boca Chita boat crash

George Pino walked out of court cleared of manslaughter and vessel homicide after a Miami-Dade County jury found the South Florida real estate broker not guilty in the deadly Boca Chita boat crash. The verdict ended a case that had gripped families on both sides, but it did not erase the June 22, 2026, loss at the center of it: 17-year-old Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez died when the boat struck a channel marker near Boca Chita Key in Biscayne Bay, and another teen, Katerina “Katy” Puig, suffered permanent disabilities.

Prosecutors had said Pino was running the 29-foot Robalo at about 47 mph before impact on Sept. 4, 2022, during Labor Day weekend. The boat carried 14 occupants, including teenagers who were aboard to celebrate the 18th birthday of Pino’s daughter, Cecilia Pino. The defense argued the crash was a sudden accident, not criminal negligence, and jurors accepted that account after hearing competing testimony about how the collision unfolded.

The trial turned on the hard line between tragedy and criminal proof. The state presented boating expert Paul Alber and relied on data it said showed the boat’s speed in the moments before it hit the marker. Passenger testimony described a sudden crash, and one passenger said she helped keep Puig afloat before rescue arrived. Those details underscored why fatal boating cases can feel clear in grief but murky under the legal standard: prosecutors must prove more than a terrible outcome, they must prove reckless conduct beyond a reasonable doubt.

Pino’s case also became a political flashpoint in Florida, where Lucy Fernandez’s death helped drive a push for tougher boating laws. In 2025, the Florida Legislature passed Lucy’s Law, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it to tighten penalties for reckless boating, vessel collisions and leaving the scene of boating accidents. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Pino was formally charged on Aug. 11, 2023, after its investigation concluded. His acquittal now stands as a reminder of how difficult vessel homicide cases can be to prove, even when the human cost is beyond dispute.