US seeks to deport captain of boat that capsized in NY, leaving a mother and her baby dead
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
NEW YORK — The federal government is seeking to deport a man accused of illegally operating a vessel that capsized in New York Harbor this month, resulting in the deaths of a woman and her baby. Manuel Ernesto Hernández-Umaña, originally from El Salvador, entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2007 after falsely claiming to a Customs and Border Protection agent that he was a U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security reported in a statement on Wednesday. Hernández, 46, a resident of Manville, New Jersey, has been charged with two counts of misconduct and negligence by a boating officer resulting in death, following the boat capsizing near Liberty Island on August 8. Sara Sánchez, 27, and her five-month-old daughter, Antonella García, lost their lives in the incident. 'Once he answers for his crimes, we will ensure he is swiftly expelled from our country,' said Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security, in a statement accompanying the press release. Hernández's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday night. Hernández was released after posting a $50,000 bond following a hearing on August 10, where he was not required to plead guilty or not guilty, according to NBC New York. What does the criminal complaint say? According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Hernández had not registered the vessel he was operating, lacked the necessary certification to operate it in the harbor with paying passengers, and did not have flotation devices for infants on board. Prosecutors allege that Hernández was using a friend's boat to conduct a sightseeing tour of the harbor, near the Statue of Liberty, because his own boat required repairs. Fourteen people were on board — including himself — exceeding the vessel's maximum capacity of ten passengers, according to the complaint, which also stated that Hernández was unaware of this capacity limit. The complaint alleges that Antonella's parents informed Hernández before boarding that they did not have an appropriate flotation device for the baby; he responded that the boat did not have one either and that instead, one of the parents would have to wear a flotation device and hold the baby during the trip, as Sánchez did. About 20 minutes into the ride, Hernández made a U-turn that caused the vessel to enter a wave zone and capsize, throwing all occupants into the water, according to the complaint. Hernández and 11 passengers were rescued; however, Sánchez and Antonella showed no signs of life when pulled from the water and were pronounced dead upon arrival at a Brooklyn hospital. Colleagues of Andrés García — Antonella's father and Sánchez's partner — commented that he had been very excited about taking this trip with his family. They noted that García was working hard to support both his family in the United States — which also includes a 6-year-old son — and his family in Colombia.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
