Jury finds George Pino "not guilty" in deadly Miami boat crash

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: and almost two weeks of emotional testimony from both sides. Jurors ultimately deciding this was a tragic accident. We have live team coverage tonight. Chelsea Jones is standing by with more on the victims and their legacy. But we begin with CBS News Miami's Nakaya Carrero. She has been following this trial since the beginning. Nakaya. [00:00:20] Speaker 2: Lauren, this trial has been filled with emotion. The jury began deliberating around 5 o'clock and had a verdict by 6.30. Pino's attorney says the not guilty verdict means a whole new chapter for the family. [00:00:38] Speaker 3: As to count one of the information, manslaughter of Luciana Cristina Fernandez, the defendant is not guilty. As to count two of the information, vessel homicide of Luciana Cristina Fernandez, the defendant is not guilty. [00:00:52] Speaker 2: So say we all... A jury returned back-to-back not guilty verdicts for George Pino in the Labor Day weekend 2022 boat crash that killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez after Pino struck a channel marker. Pino's wife and their two daughters broke down in court. Pino himself sobbed before thanking his defense team. Lucy's father sat with his head down. After the jury was released, Pino embraced his family. While the Pino celebrated, relatives of Kathy Puig, another teenager on that boat who was left with a permanent severe brain injury, walked out in silence. Do you have anything to say today about today's verdict? The lead prosecutor who argued for two weeks that Pino's negligence caused Lucy's death left the courtroom with tears in her eyes. Laura, do you have anything to say about the verdict to the family? That will be from my office media team, okay? But thank you, everyone, for being here. I hope you all have a good evening. Miami-Dade state attorney Catherine Fernandez-Rundell released a statement that read in part, sadly, I know this verdict brings no comfort to the Fernandez and Puig families who forever must live with the tragedy of what happened. In a case like this, there are no winners or losers. Mr. Pino must live with what he did while the Fernandez and Puig families will grapple with the consequences of his actions. Pino's defense says the swift verdict by five men and one woman proves their argument that this was an accident. [00:02:21] Speaker 4: A tragic thing happened. Lives were lost. Lives were changed. George Pino has always been held accountable for that. Today, thankfully, he won't be branded a criminal for what we all know was just an accident. [00:02:40] Speaker 2: I spoke to Pino's attorney outside of the courthouse and he told me this was the toughest case emotionally he has had in his career. Now, the Fernandez family did not speak after court but did hug the prosecutor after the jury was dismissed. Reporting live in Miami, Nakia Carrero, CBS News, Miami. [00:03:04] Speaker 1: Nakia, thank you. And the verdict isn't what the families were hoping for for the victims. Their lives forever changed by this tragedy. CBS News Miami's Chelsea Jones joins us live from Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove with that side of the story. Chelsea. [00:03:21] Speaker 5: Lauren, while the criminal case against George Pino is now over, the pain for the families of these two teenage girls remains. But they have turned their tragedies into advocacy with new boating laws, but also education about traumatic brain injuries. Since the 2022 crash that killed Lucy Fernandez and left Kati Puig permanently disabled, both families have not stopped fighting. It's been nearly a year since Lucy's law was signed, creating stiffer penalties for reckless boaters. Leaving the scene of an accident is now a second-degree felony. If someone dies, that's upgraded to a first-degree felony. Boat operators can also face misdemeanors for leaving the scene of a crash or providing false information after a crash happens. [00:04:08] Speaker 6: Being able to continue to make the pastime that she enjoyed so much a safer place for all, knowing that this is how she passed, that is a full-circle moment. [00:04:20] Speaker 5: The Florida Boating Accident Statistical Report ranks Florida as the number one state for boating accidents in 2024 with 75 fatalities. It also found that there were 439 boating injuries in that same year. Thank you for saving my life. Kati Puig was left with a traumatic brain injury following the 2022 Labor Day weekend crash. She is currently in physical and speech therapy. Now her family supports and educates other families impacted by TBIs through Kati Strong. [00:04:55] Speaker 2: She gives us a lot more than we give her. [00:05:00] Speaker 5: And she's my baby. While Kati gets the chance to recover, Lucy does not. These flags represent more than her memory. They stand for boater and watercraft safety, another way her family is carrying Lucy's legacy forward. [00:05:19] Speaker 6: I promise you every decision that we have made, she has been at the forefront of everything. [00:05:25] Speaker 5: And both families did not want to speak tonight. Understandably, they were emotional in court, but we have reached out to both families to hear their thoughts when they're ready. Live in Coconut Grove, I'm Chelsea Jones, CBS News, Miami.