A jury was shown a heart-wrenching video of a 17-year-old boat crash victim singing and dancing with friends before she was killed — as closing arguments in Florida real estate developer George Pino’s trial kicked off Monday.
Pino, 54, was hosting several teen girls for his daughter Carolina’s 18th birthday on his 29-foot boat when they crashed in Biscayne Bay on Sept. 4, 2022.
Pino allegedly drove the boat at 47 miles per hour into a channel marker – killing passenger 17-year-old Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez, according to cops and prosecutor Laura Adams.
“He was going full throttle with all these teenagers on board who have been consuming alcohol – as fast as he can through this narrow channel,” Adams told the jury.
The force of the crash tore a large hole in the side of the boat and threw all of the passengers into the water. Eleven people were injured and six were taken to the hospital, where Fernandez later died.
“Because he was operating in such complete disregard for the kids on his boat, Lucy winds up like this in the hospital,” the attorney continued, and flashed a chilling photo of Fernandez in a hospital bed.
“Nobody and no one is responsible for the death of Lucy Fernandez except for that man right there – he is the reason why she is dead,” Adams continued, pointing to Pino, who was seen inaudibly murmuring to himself, taking notes and staring blankly ahead throughout the closing statement.
The father and well-known real estate broker in Doral is facing second-degree manslaughter and vessel homicide charges over his alleged involvement in a 2022 boating crash that killed Fernandez and left Katerina Puig, who was then 18, with permanent and debilitating injuries.
