Two men have been charged in connection with a boat collision that killed a 15-year-old ballet dancer.
One of the men charged – 78-year-old Carlos Guillermo Alonso – allegedly hit Ella Adler with his 42-foot boat, leaving her floating on the surface in a pool of blood.
The teen had lost her grip on tow rope attached to another boat and fallen into the water while wakeboarding, as reported by Need To Know.
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Witnesses said Alonso did not stop or slow down after running over the teen. His lawyers say he continued sailing because he was oblivious to the fatal collision.
A video showed the 78-year-old returning in his boat to his home in the affluent neighbourhood of Coral Gables, Florida, US.
His lawyers argued that the footage showed Alonso was calm and made no effort to conceal or clean anything on the vessel.
Lauren Field Krasnoff, representing Alonso, told local media: “He has had no contact with the criminal system.
“He does not drink, and he was not drinking on that Saturday.”
Alonso has been charged with two misdemeanour charges for careless operation of a vessel, with officials citing infractions including “responsibility” and “look-out” from the US Coast Guard Navigational Rules.
Richard Hartley, who was piloting the boat that was towing Ella, has also been charged.
The 31-year-old was hit with the same charges as Alonso, as well as two more violations – “risk of collision” and “action to avoid collision”, authorities confirmed on Tuesday (3 June).
The charges were handed down in April 2025 and all are related to Careless Operation of a Vessel.
Both men have pleaded not guilty.
The horror unfolded on 11 May last year when Ella fell into the water near Key Biscayne while wakeboarding for a friend’s birthday.
In an obituary for Ella, the teenager was described as “a force of nature” who “loved to dance”.
It continued: “She loved her friends, and most of all she loved her family – her parents, Amanda and Matthew, and her younger siblings Jaden and Adalynn.
“Ella shone on stage as a ballerina in the Nutcracker, appearing in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
“Her magnetism radiated on the stage, where she belonged and thrived.”
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