MIAMI (Court TV) — A Florida man is standing trial on charges he killed his daughter’s teenage friend while boating.

George Pino (Law & Crime)

George Pino, 55, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and vessel homicide following an incident in Biscayne Bay in 2022.

Pino had taken his wife, daughter and 11 of his daughter’s teenage friends out to a sand bar in Biscayne Bay on Sept. 4, 2022, to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Prosecutors say that while at the sand bar, Pino drank alcohol and provided it to the underage girls at the party.

When the group turned around to go back home at the end of the day, prosecutors say things took a turn. Pino allegedly “accelerated through the ‘Cutter Bank’ channel, going from 43 miles per hour to 47 miles per hour before hitting a channel marker.” Prosecutors noted that the marker had been painted in a ‘day-glo’ green for increased visibility, and said that GPS data shows Pino had frequently driven past the marker on prior trips. Investigators also said that the GPS data showed that Pino had been driving on the wrong side of the channel before the collision.

The force of the crash allegedly knocked some of the teens into the water. Investigators said Pino was “slow to assist” Lucy Fernandez, one of the teenagers on board, when she fell into the bay. Fernandez later died; her cause of death was ruled drowning.

The family of another passenger on the boat, Katerina Puig, filed a lawsuit against Pino alleging he was negligent the day of the crash. That lawsuit sought unspecified damages for the “significant injuries resulting in permanent total disability” to their daughter.

Jury selection spanned days in the case as Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez presided over voir dire as attorneys dismissed jurors who had heard too much about the case. On Wednesday, one prospective juror warned that a woman, already excused from the panel, was watching news stories about the case at full volume on her phone, WFOR reported.

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 9 – 6/22/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 9 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial

DAY 8 – 6/17/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 8 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• Dr. Dianna Barratt, neurologist
  • Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are essentially the same thing and happen when the brain moves violently inside the skull after an impact.
  • A person can suffer a TBI from a whiplash-type motion, even if they don’t directly hit their head on something.
  • Amnesia can happen immediately after a brain injury, causing someone to forget events before or after the impact.
  • With a condition called “confabulation,” someone can unintentionally fill memory gaps with false information because they genuinely can’t remember what happened. People experiencing confabulation are not trying to lie or deceive anyone; they are unknowingly creating inaccurate memories.
  • Reviewed police, EMS and hospital records to form the conclusion that the defendant had a plausible mechanism for a traumatic brain injury, including a scalp hematoma that required seven staples.
  • Records and witness statements indicated that George Pino was unconscious after the crash, which she said strongly supported a TBI diagnosis.
  • George Pino’s broken teeth and head injuries offered further evidence that he suffered significant trauma.
  • The defendant showed signs of retrograde and post-traumatic amnesia, meaning he had trouble remembering events surrounding the crash. In an interview with investigators, George Pino offered incorrect details, such as misidentifying who was sitting behind him on the boat and incorrectly describing his boat’s engines, which Barratt said could be signs of memory impairment and confabulation.
• Andrew Mescolotto, maritime attorney
  • Mescolotto represented George Pino in civil litigation tied to the boat crash; he said that the defendant consistently claimed that an unidentified boat going northbound created a wake that caused or contributed to the deadly crash; that explanation appeared in multiple sworn, civil filings.
  • George and Cecilia Pino submitted interrogatory responses blaming the unidentified vessel’s wake, though Cecilia did not witness the crash and relied on information from her husband and investigators.
  • Prosecutors questioned whether the wake explanation would be false if no other vessel existed, with Mescolotto responding that he relied on George Pino’s recollection and believed the information was provided in good faith.
  • George Pino only carried $300,000 in liability insurance for the crash, meaning any damages beyond that amount could have become his personal responsibility.
  • Jurors heard that George Pino sought to limit liability through federal maritime proceedings, but the defense argued that those filings are standard practice and were largely directed by the insurance company.
• Carolina Monterrey, eyewitness (recalled)
  • Described seeing George Pino on the ground with his head bleeding.
• The defense rested its case.
• The defense made a second motion for acquittal, asking for the charges against the defendant to be dismissed. The judge denied the motion.
• Rudy Puig, father of victim Kati Puig
  • Daughter was an athlete before the crash; now she needs 24/7 medical care, which is expensive.
• Andres Fernandez, victim’s father (recalled)
  • Very close to Cecilia Pino growing up and went to her wedding to George Pino. Their families were close and the girls grew up together.
  • Their relationship began to distance.
  • His daughter Lucy had asked him to go to the sandbar that day.
  • Texted the defendant a week prior to the party telling him they would be down there, but didn’t think they had made any concrete plans.
• The state rested its rebuttal case.

DAY 7 – 6/16/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 7 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• Paul Alber was recalled to the stand.
  • Testified about tides, sun position and navigation conditions at the time of the crash.
  • Weather and environmental factors don’t block visibility of channel markers.
  • Defense aimed to question whether marker 13A could block another (15), but Alber said that any blockage would have been brief and insignificant.
  • The boat was going fast (43-50 mph) and there were only seconds to react before impact.
• Clauda Portocarrero, eyewitness
  • Portocarrero has known the Pino family for most of her life and was on the boat celebrating Cecelia’s birthday.
  • Described the return boat ride as normal, with music, dancing and no perceived issues with the speed or operation of the boat. George Pino did not seem impaired.
  • The scene was chaotic after the crash; she remembered seeing blood and believed momentarily that George Pino had died.
  • After the crash, she swam to safety and attempted to help others.
• Natalia Reed, eyewitness
  • Attended the birthday celebration and described the boat ride as normal with calm conditions and no concern about speed or operation.
  • She and others had been drinking alcohol but did not feel heavily impaired; George Pino did not seem intoxicated.
  • Described the crash as being a sudden impact and seeing that people had been thrown into the water.
  • She saw George Pino with blood on his head and briefly thought he might be dead.
  • She was rescued and transported by a good Samaritan’s boat
  • WATCH: Witnesses Recall ‘Nothing Unusual’ Before Fatal Boat Crash
• Hamlet Rodriguez, eyewitness
  • Was out boating in the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend in 2022 when he encountered a boating accident.
  • Saw a vessel overturned in the water and then people shouted to kill the engines because someone was missing.
  • One of the people on his boat yelled for the man hanging on the capsized boat (George Pino) to look for the missing person under the boat. When he did, he quickly came back with a girl in his arms.
  • Rodriguez jumped into the water, helped keep the girl (identified as Lucy Fernandez) afloat and brought her to another boat where he handed her off.
  • He was exhausted and disoriented after the rescue and left before police arrived.
  • MORE: Witnesses describe ‘chaos,’ ‘screaming’ after millionaire crashed boat
• David Rodriguez, eyewitness
  • Had been boating over the weekend, averaging speeds of 50-55 mph. Rodriguez admitted previously hitting 80 mph while boating in clear conditions.
  • Was boating in the area when he saw a capsized boat from a distance. He sped over and saw chaos — mostly teenage girls swimming in the water.
  • When he heard someone was missing, he began to circle around, fearing the current may have taken the person.
  • After Fernandez was found, he helped get George Pino out of the water and brought him onto his own boat.
  • A six-second cellphone video showed George Pino standing on Rodriguez’s boat as a helicopter hovered over the scene.
• Cecilia Pino was recalled to the stand
  • She and her husband have been married for 25 years and have two daughters. The girls on the boat on the day of the crash had been lifelong family friends.
  • The Labor Day weekend was meant to be a celebration of her daughter’s 18th birthday, with pickleball, a trip to the sandbar and a dinner planned later that evening.
  • There were 36 people total at the sandbar: 13 girls, 8 boys and 15 adults. Alcohol was available but she had only one or two drinks and did not feel buzzed or impaired.
  • She did not see her husband drink alcohol at the sandbar and after 25 years of marriage, even if he had two beers, he would not appear drunk or buzzed to her.
  • Before leaving, she was cleaning up empty cans and trash on the boat while George Pino boarded and prepared to drive.
  • She was sitting right next to her husband and was trying to send a video of the girls singing amd dancing to their mothers when the crash happened.
  • The next thing she remembered, she was on the side of the sinking boat, telling girls to jump into the water because water was pouring in.
  • She helped keep Mia afloat with a cushion and directed the girls to swim towards a nearby rescue boat while repeatedly asking, “Who’s missing?”
  • Became emotional as she recalled learning that Lucy Fernandez was missing.

 DAY 6 – 6/15/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 6 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• Paul Alber, Boating instructor
  • Boaters are required to maintain a proper lookout, operate at a safe speed, assess collision risks and take early action to avoid crashes.
  • Even with modern technology, GPS should never be a boater’s only means of navigation and operators must use all available resources to navigate safely.
  • The 29-foot boat involved in the crash could reach speeds over 50 mph, but carrying 14 passengers would significantly affect its speed and handling.
  • Albert testified that the boat struck the channel marker with tremendous force, causing the fiberglass bow to flex upward, resulting in severe damage down the starboard side of the vessel.
  • Investigators recovered the boat’s waterlogged GPS units; Alber was able to extract data from the devices, which showed historical track lines and recorded the boat’s speed, direction and movements, which Alber said could be used to reconstruct the vessel’s movements before the crash.
• Dr. David Fintan Garavan, Forensic pathologist
  • Lucy Fernandez’s death was ruled drowning-related.
  • Agreed with the original finding of drowning, but would more specifically classify the cause of death as “complications of drowning” because Fernandez’s heart was temporarily restarted before she ultimately died.
  • Fernandez suffered significant blunt-force injuries before drowning. Injuries to her head, face, mouth, scalp and neck were detailed, including bruising and hemorrhaging that were consistent with blunt-force trauma.
  • Fernandez may have been knocked unconscious: based on the head and neck injuries, it was “very possible” that she was thrown forward during the boating crash, knocking her out and leaving her unable to escape the water.
  • None of Fernandez’s injuries were fatal on their own, but being trapped underwater and deprived of oxygen after the crash ultimately led to her death.
  • No drugs or alcohol were found in Fernandez’s system.
• The prosecution rested its case.

DAY 5 – 6/12/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 5 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• William Thompson, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
  • Identified George Pino as the operator of the boat involved in the crash and made contact with him at Elliott Key Harbor while trying to determine ownership of the vessel and how it would be removed from the water.
  • Pino voluntarily described the crash, telling Thompson he turned to check on passengers seated in the back of the boat, encountered a wave, attempted to correct course and then struck something on the left side of the boat.
  • Pino was cooperative throughout their interactions, was never handcuffed and moved freely around the island.
  • Pino told investigators that he had consumed two beers; Thompson did not observe any obvious signs of alcohol impairment.
  • Pino signed a consent-to-search form, which permitted investigators to examine the boat, GPS data, hatches, bags and other personal belongings.

DAY 4 – 6/11/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 4 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• The jury was taken on a view to see the boat that crashed.
• Manuel Pomares, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
  • Assisted with the recovery of the boat and was part of the dive team that documented the crash site.
  • Markers are typically made up of adhesive and have reflective material on them so they can be seen at night.
  • GoPro footage of the boat while it was underwater was shown to the jury.
  • Divers began gathering evidence from the bottom of the water under the boat. They found a Yeti cup, sunglasses and IDs.
  • A piece of the boat and the green marker were shown to the jury in the courtroom.

DAY 3 – 6/10/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 3 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• Robert Brutto, Miami-Dade Police Officer (Ret.)
  • Played bodycamera footage of the aftermath for the Court.
  • Did not participate in the investigation after leaving the scene.
  • Pino did not seem intoxicated.
• Andrew Mescolotto, Maritime attorney
  • Retained to represent Mr. and Mrs. Pino in a civil lawsuit.
• Cecilia Pino, Defendant’s wife
  • Celebrating with a party for the couple’s daughter who was turning 18.
  • 12 girls were invited to the party.
  • Her husband was the only one who operated the boat on the day of the crash.
  • Does not know how the accident occurred because she was trying to send a text of the girls dancing to another mom.
• John Dalton, Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office
  • Dispatched to scene of the crash.
  • Tied up to the line of boats and was in charge of all movements.
  • Teen girls were brought to his boat and had minor injuries. The girls were all panicked.

DAY 2 – 6/9/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 2 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• Howard Srebnick finished delivering his opening statement.
  • George Pino was not impaired and did not intentionally endanger anyone.
  • Pino simply lost track of the channel markers during a route he had safely traveled many times before.
  • Emphasized that the defendant suffered a concussion in the crash and personally helped pull Lucy Fitzgerald from beneath the overturned boat in an attempt to save her life.
  • WATCH: George Pino Never Intended to Hurt Anyone Prior to Boat Crash: Defense
• Andres Fernandez, victim’s father
  • His daughter, Lucy Fernandez, asked him and his wife to come see her at the sandbar that afternoon so they took their own boat out to meet her and the group.
  • Described the afternoon as a beautiful gathering with friends, music and alcohol.
  • He had no concerns that Pino was too intoxicated to operate a boat.
  • His final interaction with his daughter was when she came over for sunscreen and a hair tie before leaving; she hugged him— that was the last time he saw his daughter alive.
  • He and his wife went from hospital to hospital looking for their daughter. When they finally found her, she was attached to machines keeping her alive; she died the next day.
  • Fernandez grew emotional talking about how he and his wife realized their daughter had become “a piece of evidence” in a criminal investigation.
• Camila Alvarez, was on the boat
  • Was a senior in high school at the time and attended the birthday celebration with a group of friends who traveled to Ocean Reef for the weekend and later went out on a boat to the sandbar.
  • Food and alcoholic drinks were available on the boat, including seltzers and hard lemonades, and that she personally consumed alcohol while at the sandbar.
  • Diagrams are used to reconstruct the layout of the boat and who was sitting where.
  • Mia, Lucy and Kati were among the three most seriously injured in the crash, based on where they were seated.
• MORE: Judge scolds gallery, defendant for hugs: ‘It’s absolutely unacceptable’
• Caroline Monterrey, was on the boat
  • Friends with Cecee and Lucy having met in elementary school.
  • Described what happened on the boat and the aftermath.
• Brent Brighton, attorney
  • Retained by Kati’s family as an attorney for injuries she suffered in the boat crash.
  • Filed a lawsuit against Pino and his wife.
  • Pino said he had two beers before the incident and did not take any medications.
  • Pino did not think the boat had any mechanical defects.
  • The civil proceedings were resolved and are no longer active.
• Aracely Albertos, Ocean Reef Club
  • If someone is planning an event, they can organize that.
  • Pino’s group was a banquet for Sept. 4 for 24 people; it was a cocktail reception, which meant they could order alcohol. The party began at 9 pm.
• Hilary Candela, eyewitness
  • Saw a capsized vessel while bringing another boat back and approached it.
  • As they got closer, there was yelling to slow down because a 17-year-old girl was missing.
  • Pino was holding on to the bow of the boat. He told Pino to look under the boat for Lucy. George froze and then he yelled a second time; then Pino went underwater and came up with Lucy.
• Robert Brutto, Miami-Dade Police Officer (Ret.)
  • Responded to the deadly boat crash after receiving a distress call about an overturned boat with a missing female in the water.
  • Found a good Samaritan vessel where Lucy Fernandez was unconscious and receiving CPR while a rescue helicopter lowered a paramedic to the scene.
  • Marine patrol officers used a backboard to transfer Lucy from the boat to a larger vessel so she could get urgent treatment and be taken to shore.
  • Responded to a second vessel where she found Kati unresponsive and Mia injured.

DAY 1 – 6/8/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. George Pino – Day 1 | Boat Crash Manslaughter Trial
• Laura Adams delivered the opening statement for the prosecution.
  • George Pino recklessly sped through a narrow channel on the wrong side of the waterway before crashing into a channel marker, killing 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.
  • GPS data shows Pino was on a collision course for several seconds, which counters his claim that another boat forced him to take evasive action.
  • WATCH: 17-Year-Old’s Death Was No Accident in Deadly Boat Crash Case: State
• Howard Srebnick delivered the opening statement for the defense.
  • There was no speed limit in the channel where Pino was driving.
  • The defendant had known the victim since she was a little girl and loved her like a daughter.
  • This was not intentional; his own family was on the boat. He had previously driven the channel safely.
  • George Pino began to sob as his attorney was speaking.
• The judge recessed the day early.