Miami real estate developer set to surrender to felony homicide charges in deadly Biscayne Bay boat crash

A real estate developer is set to surrender Thursday, years after his alleged involvement in a deadly boat crash.

More than two years after Seventeen-year-old Luciana Fernandez died, and 19-year-old Katerina Puig was left permanently disable by the crash. The driver of the boat they were on, George Pino, is set to surrender Thursday morning to felony homicide charges.

“Complete closure? Not yet, but on our way,” said Joel Denaro Attorney for Fernandez’s family.

It’s a long time coming for the families whose lives were forever changed.

Prosecutors revaluated the case after a new crucial witness came forward.

“A man came forward from fire rescue, who is a critical witness, and believed that alcohol was a factor,” said Denaro.

Pino, a prominent real estate figure, took a dozen teens out on a boat to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. They hit a channel marker and were all ejected from the boat on impact.

Originally, he said he was trying to avoid the wake of a larger boat, which is explained to officers on body camera.

“And the wheel, I guess, when I hit one of the waves the wheel turned a little and I lost control and I think I turned,” said Pino.

Although they were half-gone bottles of liquor and over 60 cans of booze found on the boat, officers reported that Pino was not impaired, though he denied doing a blood alcohol test.

At first, Pino was only charged with two counts of careless operation of a vessel causing death and serious bodily injury, which are second-degree misdemeanors.

Now, more than two years after the Labor Day crash, investigators filed a new charge bringing some semblance of justice for the families of Puig and Fernandez.

“Normally in criminal cases, they don’t get better in time. This we believe is the exception to that because with the passage of time more witnesses began to come forward who had information which proves that this was a reckless act, rather than a careless act,” said Denaro.

The prosecutor on this case said she does not plan to seek bond.

Now, Pino has been out since August 2023 when he was originally charged.