The owner of a boat matching the description of the one which struck and killed Ella Adler has been IDed, while the man’s lawyer says he’s “devastated” … but still doesn’t know for sure whether he or his boat were involved in the crash.
Investigators have named the man who was driving the boat they suspect struck and killed 15-year-old Florida ballerina Riley Adler.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report on the crash reportedly cites 78-year-old Carlos Alonso as the operator of the vessel and said he was the only occupant of the 42-foot Boston Whaler, per NBC Miami.
A FWC press release simply said the agency “identified a vessel that fits the description and it is in their custody” — adding that “the owner of the vessel is cooperating with the investigation.”
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According to the incident report, Adler and a friend were being towed on a wakeboard and wake surfboard in Biscayne Bay on Saturday. The two fell off their boards at different locations and Adler was struck by another vessel while in the water.
The boat did not stop after she was hit; the teen died of her injuries.
First responders said there was “a lot of blood in the water” when they arrived at the scene.
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Alonso’s lawyer, Lauren Field Krasnoff, called the incident “the worst possible tragedy that anyone could imagine.”
“We don’t know at this time whether [Alonso] or his boat were the boat involved in the crash,” she continued, adding her client didn’t know why police showed up to his door after boating solo on Saturday. “If his boat was involved, I can tell you he had absolutely no idea that that is what happened that day. He is as devastated as anybody could be.”
“He docked his boat in plain sight, and most importantly, he’s been cooperative with law enforcement and with anybody that has needed to investigate what happened on the water that day,” the attorney added. “He has had no contact with the criminal system. He does not drink, and he was not drinking on that Saturday.”
Krasnoff said they’re “devastated” for the victim’s family and friends — adding, “there’s no question in our minds that this is an absolutely horrific thing that happened and we pray for and think of their family and friends during this time.”
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In her obituary, Adler was remembered as a “star” and “force of nature.
“In her 15 years on this earth, she dazzled us with her light. She emanated love and joy. She was beautiful. When she walked into a room, everyone was drawn to her. She loved to dance, she loved her friends, and most of all she loved her family – her parents, Amanda and Matthew, and her younger siblings Jaden and Adalynn,” it read.
She was also remembered as an accomplished ballerina and someone who “loved her friends deeply.”
At her funeral service on Monday, a letter from the late teen’s father was read by one of the child’s aunts.
“Mommy and I have said for years that you truly got the best parts of both of us,” he wrote, according to the Miami Herald. “You were taken from us way to soon, and the world has been robbed of all the things you could have achieved. But you will always be here with us and your friends and family will carry your energy and spirit forever.”
Ella’s sister also wrote a letter read by their aunt — writing, “I will always have you in my heart.”
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