Key facts
- The pilot of a speedboat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing a mother and infant, has been arrested by U.S. immigration authorities.
- Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, a citizen of El Salvador, is accused of entering the U.S. illegally in 2007 and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
- He faces federal criminal charges for causing the deaths of 5-month-old Antonella Garcia and 27-year-old Sara Sanchez.
- Hernandez-Umana was not licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard and was unaware of basic safety rules.
- The boat was illegally chartered, overcrowded, and lacked a life preserver for the infant.
The pilot of a speedboat that capsized in New York Harbor, resulting in the deaths of an infant and her mother, has been arrested by U.S. immigration authorities. Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, a citizen of El Salvador, is accused of entering the United States illegally in 2007 and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Hernandez-Umana, 46, is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that Hernandez-Umana will be deported after facing justice for his alleged crimes. He faces federal criminal charges for causing the deaths of 5-month-old Antonella Garcia and 27-year-old Sara Sanchez through misconduct or neglect.
Prosecutors indicated that Hernandez-Umana was not licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard and was unaware of basic safety rules. He reportedly told investigators he had borrowed a friend's vessel for the excursion. The boat, a 21-foot Yamaha AR210, was reportedly illegally chartered, overcrowded with 14 people (exceeding its 10-person capacity), and lacked a life preserver suitable for the infant. The vessel swamped and sank during a U-turn in choppy waters.
The tour was advertised by Zeus Luxury Rental Inc., a company whose boat caught fire last year during a separate incident. Hernandez-Umana had reportedly worked for Zeus Luxury on a freelance basis since the previous year, initially as a limousine driver. He stated he used a friend's boat on August 8 because his own vessel was undergoing repairs.