By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-09 17:17:13 | Updated at 2026-06-11 02:45:11
1 day ago
A Florida real estate developer hyperventilated in court and had to be comforted by his attorney the day after he forced a halt to his trial with an emotional breakdown.
George Pino, 54, appeared overcome with emotion on the second day of his trial on Tuesday, as he faces manslaughter and felony vessel homicide charges over a 2022 boat crash that killed Lucy Fernandez, 17.
Pino was piloting a boat filled with his daughter's friends at the time of the crash, with the collision also permanently injuring their friend Katerina Puig, 18, and maiming several others.
Hours into the start of his trial on Monday, the judge in Pino's case paused the proceedings after the millionaire developer broke down in tears and wept in front of the courtroom.
The jury was dismissed for the day due to the outburst, with footage of Pino appearing to suffer an emotional breakdown going viral on social media.
The defendant again struggled to contain himself on Tuesday as his trial continued, with his attorney Howard Srebnick seen putting his arm around his client and comforting him through his case.
Pino's second emotional moment came as Fernandez's father Andres took the stand, and explained that he had known Pino for years and their daughters had grown up together.
Attendees in the courtroom were seen crying during Fernandez's testimony as he said he raced to the scene after hearing of the boat crash, and searched for hours before eventually finding his daughter's body in the water.
George Pino, 54, a Florida real estate developer, hyperventilated in court and had to be comforted by his attorney the day after he forced a halt to his trial with an emotional breakdown
Pino, 54, appeared overcome with emotion on the second day of his trial on Tuesday, as he faces manslaughter and felony vessel homicide charges over a 2022 boat crash
On Monday, Pino's trial was paused when he suffered an emotional breakdown
In Andres Fernandez's testimony, he said he and his wife waited for hours to eventually find their daughter in hospital, and recalled a harrowing conversation with police in her final moments.
He said he tried to remove a piece of fiberglass from the boat from her head, but was stopped by an officer because that was part of the evidence in the case.
Andres said he then turned to his wife and said, 'Our daughter is now evidence.'
The father grew emotional at times during his testimony, as supporters in the audience were seen also weeping as he spoke of his daughter.
During Tuesday's proceedings, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez also condemned Pino's family and friends for comforting the defendant while he struggled through the testimony.
She said it was inappropriate for them to hug Pino during sidebars, and told them, 'This is not a sports bar or social event.'
Pino's emotional displays on Tuesday came after the judge previously dismissed jurors for the day on Monday because he broke down in tears in front of them.
The moment unfolded as prosecutor Laura Adams finished her opening statements, and Pino's own defense lawyer began laying out his arguments.
When Adams then saw Pino start to sob and shake, she called for a delay in the proceedings saying his breakdown was 'inappropriate' for the jurors to witness, Local 10 News reports.
The fatal crash took the life of 17-year-old Luciana 'Lucy' Fernandez (pictured) and left Katerina Puig, who was 18 at the time, with debilitating and permanent injuries that will preclude her from living an independent life
Pino was operating a 29-foot Robalo when he hit a channel marker, while speeding at around 50 miles per hour, near Boca Chita Key
Lucy Fernandez, left, died in the crash, while Katerina Puig survived but was left with severe, lifelong disabilities
Judge Mendez agreed, telling Pino's attorney he is 'going to need to be able to control himself' and later adding, 'It's not proper at all for the jury to be witnessing the emotional behaviors' as she requested the jury be removed from the courtroom.
Pino, meanwhile, stepped out to compose himself - but his lead attorney, Howard Srebnick, told the judge he was concerned about his client's health.
'I don't think he's well,' the lawyer said, according to the Miami Herald.
If convicted, Pino faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, with the possibility of facing significant prison time appearing to weigh heavily on the real estate developer.
After a short recess on Monday as Miami Fire Rescue crews checked Pino out, the judge ultimately agreed to dismiss the jury for the day - saying opening statements would resume on Tuesday morning.
Pino is facing felony charges in connection with a devastating crash on September 4, 2022, when Pino and his wife, Cecilia Pino, were hosting several teen girls for their daughter's 18th birthday party.
All of the girls on the boat were lifelong friends of Carolina Pino and students at Carrolton School of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy.
Pino was driving this 29-foot Robalo boat. The right side of the vessel was torn open in the crash
Pino was a well known real estate developer in the Doral, Florida area
Upon investigation, it was revealed that Pino was piloting the 29-foot vessel back to the dock when he hit a channel marker, while speeding at around 50 miles per hour, near Boca Chita Key.
Pino allegedly said another boat came by creating a big wake and when he turned to check and make sure all of the girls were okay, he hit the marker, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said.
The boat crash knocked everyone out of the boat and tore a large hole in the side of the vessel, injuring 11 of the passengers.
Six of them were taken to the hospital, where Fernandez would later die.
Police said Pino admitted to drinking two beers before the crash, but insisted he was not impaired.
In Fernandez's testimony on Tuesday, he said his family had known Pino's for years, and said he was not concerned that Pino was drinking a beer while sailing with his daughter as he believed he was under control.
Pino was never administered a sobriety test, yet when the boat was pulled from the water the day after the crash, 61 empty alcohol bottles - including an empty bottle of champagne - were found on it, according to the Miami Herald.
Katerina (pictured in wheelchair), now 19, will likely never have the possibility of living independently
The boat crash knocked everyone out of the boat and tore a large hole in the side of the vessel, injuring 11 of the passengers. Six of them were taken to the hospital, where Fernandez would later die
Pino has admitted to piloting the vessel at the time of the crash, with prosecutors arguing he recklessly sailed the boat in the moments leading up to the tragedy.
At the start of his trial, Adams told the jury that Pino allegedly accelerated his 29-foot Robalo boat into a steel channel marker, sending himself and all 13 passengers into the water.
'This is a case about responsibility and accountability, or, I should say, the lack of both by the defendant,' the prosecutor said.
She went on to claim that before the crash, Pino was on the wrong side of the channel and was speeding when he smashed into the marker, which had a green neon sign on top of it.
In the nine seconds before the crash, Adams said, Pino was on a 'collision course with the marker' - which he could not stop because he was not wearing a kill switch to stop the engine.
She further argued that alcohol was a factor considering the teenage girls, who were underage, were provided with alcohol and Pino admitted drinking 'two beers' that day.
'There was alcohol, lots of it stocked on that boat,' Adams said, referring to the 61 empty and partially empty bottles and cans police found on the vessel after salvaging it from the water the following day.
'This was not a mere accident or momentary lapse,' the prosecutor continued, according to the Herald. 'Lucy is dead because the defendant failed to do the most basic things the rules of the water require.'
