Miami Developer George Pino Acquitted of Manslaughter in 2022 Biscayne Bay Boat Crash That Killed Teen Lucy Fernandez

The Verdict

After eight days of testimony in South Florida, a Miami-Dade jury returned a not guilty verdict Monday against George Pino, 55, on charges of second-degree manslaughter and vessel homicide, according to NBC 6.

Pino, a Miami real estate developer, had been on trial for a crash that occurred on September 4, 2022, Labor Day weekend, in Biscayne Bay near Boca Chita Key. His boat struck a channel marker. Lucy Fernandez, 17, died. Katy Puig, now 21, was left with permanent disabilities.

Pino and his wife had been hosting a birthday celebration for their daughter on their 29-foot vessel when the collision happened.

What the Two Sides Argued

Prosecutors, led by Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, told the jury that Pino's actions were reckless under Florida criminal statute. Hitting a marked navigational hazard under those circumstances was not a simple mistake but a crime, they argued.

The defense, led by attorney Howard Srebnick, argued the opposite: that no eyewitness saw signs of impairment, that Pino was not under the influence, and that he acted to protect those on board after the collision. Srebnick said in a post-verdict statement, according to NBC 6, that "the testimony presented at trial — including unrebutted accounts from eyewitnesses who saw no signs of impairment — confirmed that Mr. Pino was not under the influence, was not operating the vessel recklessly, and that he did everything he could to protect his passengers after the accident."

The jury sided with the defense.

The Families' Loss Is Not In Dispute

For the Fernandez and Puig families, this verdict changes nothing about what they lost. Lucy Fernandez is dead. Katy Puig lives with permanent, life-altering injuries. Those facts are not contested by anyone in this case.

State Attorney Fernandez-Rundle acknowledged the outcome directly. "Sadly, I know that this verdict brings no comfort to the Fernandez and Puig families who forever must live with the tragedy of what happened," she said in a statement. She also added: "Mr. Pino must live with what he did, while the Fernandez and Puig families will grapple with the consequences of his actions."

The families' grief is real and legitimate. Their belief that criminal accountability was warranted is understandable. The question at trial was a narrow legal one: whether Pino's conduct met Florida's criminal threshold for recklessness, not simply whether a tragedy occurred.

What the Verdict Does and Doesn't Mean

A not guilty verdict on criminal charges is not the same as a finding that nothing went wrong. Florida law required prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Pino acted with culpable negligence or recklessness. The jury found they did not meet that standard.

Fernandez-Rundle said her office "believed that the totality of George Pino's actions on the waters of Biscayne Bay were reckless and constituted a crime" but accepted the jury's decision. Prosecutors made their case; twelve jurors disagreed.

Srebnick called it "a just verdict." The state attorney called it disappointing but accepted it. Both responses reflect how the system is supposed to work.

What Remains Unresolved

No civil litigation outcome is mentioned in the available reporting. Florida wrongful death and personal injury civil suits operate under a different legal standard than criminal prosecution. Preponderance of evidence rather than proof beyond a reasonable doubt applies in civil cases. Whether the Fernandez or Puig families have pursued or are pursuing civil claims against Pino has not been reported by NBC 6 or Fox News in the coverage available as of June 23, 2026. That remains an open and genuinely unresolved question in this case.