The federal government plans to deport a man charged with illegally operating a boat that capsized in New York Harbor, resulting in the deaths of a woman and her infant daughter. Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, a 46-year-old resident of Manville, New Jersey, originally from El Salvador, entered the U.S. illegally via Texas in 2007, pretending to be a U.S. citizen according to the Department of Homeland Security’s news release.
Hernandez faces charges for misconduct and neglect of a ship officer which led to the deaths of Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, when the boat overturned near Liberty Island on August 8. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin emphasized the government’s intent to deport Hernandez after legal proceedings.
Following a hearing on August 10, Hernandez was released on a $50,000 bail without entering a plea as reported by NBC New York. His attorney hasn’t commented on the matter yet.
The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York detailed several violations. Hernandez reportedly failed to register the boat, didn’t have certification to run it with paying passengers in the harbor, and lacked suitable infant flotation devices.
Prosecutors claim Hernandez used a friend’s vessel for a harbor tour near the Statue of Liberty owing to repair needs for his own boat. The boat hosted 14 people, surpassing its 10-person capacity. Hernandez appeared unaware of the boat’s limits, and when Antonella’s parents indicated lacking an infant flotation device, Hernandez admitted the boat lacked such, advising one parent to wear a device and hold the baby, which Sanchez complied with.
Approximately 20 minutes into the voyage, Hernandez executed a U-turn causing the boat to overturn. While Hernandez and 11 others were rescued, Sanchez and Antonella did not survive, as reported after being pulled from water and taken to a Brooklyn hospital.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch criticized Hernandez’s disregard for passenger safety by operating an overloaded, unlicensed boat which led to the capsizing incident.
Andres Garcia, Antonella’s father, and Sanchez’s partner had expressed enthusiasm for the family outing according to his co-workers, who noted his dedication to supporting his family both in the U.S. and Colombia. Tisch expressed sorrow over the preventable loss, leaving Garcia grieving over his partner and daughter’s deaths due to Hernandez’s negligence.