Overview
- Carlos Guillermo “Bill” Alonso pleaded guilty to careless vessel operation in Miami-Dade County and was barred from operating a boat during probation.
- The sentence includes a 75-hour boater-safety course, a $5,000 donation to the Florida Crime Victims Compensation Fund, and a $500 fine plus costs.
- Under the deal, Alonso avoids a formal conviction and can seek to have the case cleared if he completes probation without violations, according to his attorney.
- Investigators initially treated the case as a hit-and-run after the boat was not found for days; defense-released video was cited to argue Alonso did not realize he struck anyone.
- Edmund Richard Hartley, the captain involved in towing Ella Adler before she fell, remains charged and has pleaded not guilty.