What to Know
- A boater was killed by a ship's propeller on April 1.
- The man in charge of the ship at the time of the incident was arrested on Wednesday.
- He faces up to 10 years imprisonment on a charge of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer that resulted in death.
The man in charge of the Miami Vice charter boat at the time of the incident in early April in which a man was killed the ship's propeller has been arrested.
Mauricio Alvarez, 49, of Miami, was arrested on Wednesday as he attempted to board an overseas flight at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
The criminal complaint alleges two passengers of the boat were in the water near the stem of the Miami Vice on April 1 near Monument Island when Alvarez engaged the engines in reverse – an act which would pull nearby objects toward the propeller.
Raul Menendez was struck and killed by the boat's propellers. He was partly dismembered, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said.
Alvarez did not have a United States Captain license at the time of the incident.
"The complaint alleges that Alvarez ... could not see the stern of the vessel or ensure the safety of any remaining swimmers in the water while engaging the engines from this location without assistance from another individual," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said.
Local
The Miami Vice was chartered for a four-hour trip at a cost of $3,000 in which Alvarez was to be paid $150 an hour.
Alvarez is charged with misconduct or neglect of a ship officer that resulted in the death of an individual, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
