{"id":1486,"date":"2026-06-08T17:35:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T17:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1486"},"modified":"2026-06-08T17:35:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T17:35:06","slug":"openings-and-testimony-set-in-trial-of-developer-charged-in-fatal-2022-boca-chita-boat-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1486","title":{"rendered":"Openings and testimony set in trial of developer charged\u00a0in fatal 2022 Boca Chita boat crash"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Opening statements and testimony are beginning on Monday in the trial of a prominent South Florida developer who was driving a boat during a fatal 2022 crash near Boca Chita Key.<\/p>\n

Read more Fort Lauderdale woman was driving 131 mph on Turnpike while drunk, FHP says<\/a><\/p>\n

George Pino is facing second-degree manslaughter and vessel homicide charges for the crash that claimed the life of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez and left another teen, Katy Puig, with permanent injuries.<\/p>\n

Pino, 55, has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence, calling the crash an accident.<\/p>\n

What happened<\/h2>\n

Authorities said Pino was at the helm of the 29-foot vessel with 14 people on board when he crashed into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key on Sept. 4, 2022.<\/p>\n

The boat capsized and all the passengers, including several teens, were thrown into the water.<\/p>\n

Body camera footage captured Pino speaking to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers shortly after crashing his boat.<\/p>\n

“I turned back to look at two girls sitting at the back seat of the bar, and I was at five or six in the front with my wife in the middle, and we were coming, and I approached the waves at first, like I always do when the boat hits,” he said. “I was looking at the girls and just to make sure they were okay, if they were sitting in the back, and the next thing I know, I hit the waves and I tried to swing.”<\/p>\n

Who was killed and injured <\/h2>\n

The crash killed Fernandez, a senior at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, and injured most of the passengers on the boat, including Puig, who was 18 at the time and was left permanently disabled.<\/p>\n

“You know, they say you can’t go back in time, and I never want to relive that moment again,” Kathya Puig, Katy’s mother said. “‘Is katy dead?’ You know, like, do we even know? And he said, ‘I don’t know.'”<\/p>\n

“I mean, she looked horrible,” Rodlfo Fernando Puig, Katy’s father said. “Her stomach was bloated and her face was bloated. It was just, you know, it was bad.”<\/p>\n

The investigation <\/h2>\n

An initial incident report showed investigators found more than 61 empty alcoholic bottles and cans on the boat. However, a final Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report released nearly a year after the crash indicated Pino showed no signs of impairment when officers responded.<\/p>\n

Body camera footage showed Pino speaking with FWC officers following the crash, with Pino admitting to having two beers, but declining to give a blood sample. Authorities did not give Pino a sobriety test at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n

Read more Miami-Dade mom arrested after 8-year-old said she was beaten, had to eat trash, cops say<\/a><\/p>\n

The lawsuit <\/h2>\n

Katy’s parents sued Pino and his wife, pointing to the alcohol on board. A settlement was reached with the Puig family for $16 million on behalf of Celia and an undisclosed amount from Pino.<\/p>\n

Fernandez’s family chose not to file a lawsuit against Pino, but instead pushed for Lucy Law at the State Capitol, which aims to improve boater safety. <\/p>\n

The legislation also increased penalties for reckless boating and leaving the scene of a crash. <\/p>\n

Pino’s defense <\/h2>\n

Pino’s attorneys have repeatedly stated the crash was an accident and hope to convince jurors that Pino was not impaired.<\/p>\n

“I do believe is appropriate the jury understand that the consumption of alcohol, evidence includes this, consumption of alcohol is lawful, so long as it doesn\u2019t rise to the level of impairment,” said Howard Strebnick, a defense attorney. <\/p>\n

Pino’s attorneys also said that their client suffered a head injury himself, requiring fifteen stitches, but he still made efforts to rescue passengers, including diving under the capsized boat.<\/p>\n

His attorneys had been seeking to prevent a jury from hearing the statements he made about having the two beers, but the judge denied that request.<\/p>\n

The State’s argument <\/h2>\n

Pino also told authorities that another boat caused the crash, which prosecutors claimed was Pino looking for excuses but that statement will also be allowed at trial.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors plan to bring up the beer statement during the criminal trial, along with his statement where he blamed another boat for the crash.<\/p>\n

The trial<\/h2>\n

Jury selection took place last week as the judge rejected defense attorneys’ attempts to have the case dropped and delayed.<\/p>\n

Read more Suspect who fought man at bar in Miami Beach charged with murder after shooting, report says<\/a><\/p>\n

Pino could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opening statements and testimony are beginning in the trial of a prominent South Florida developer who was driving a boat during a fatal 2022 crash near Boca\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miami-dade-county"],"yoast_head":"\nOpenings and testimony set in trial of developer charged\u00a0in fatal 2022 Boca Chita boat crash - Jacksonville Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1486\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Openings and testimony set in trial of developer charged\u00a0in fatal 2022 Boca Chita boat crash - 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