(NewsNation) — Authorities in Florida say they are investigating a boat of interest in the hit-and-run death of 15-year-old Ella Adler and have identified the boater as Carlos Guillermo Alonso.
The new report names Alonso as being involved in the crash, saying the 78-year-old owns the boat, which was taken in by authorities earlier in the week.
According to investigators, Alonso was on the water by himself last Saturday when they say he hit and killed a 15-year-old girl who had been wakeboarding with her friends.
His attorney, Lauren Field Krasnoff, shared a statement with NewsNation that Alonso, who goes by Bill, is devastated and unaware he could have been involved in the accident.
“What I will say is that Bill’s an experienced boater. He was out on the water alone that day. He had no idea that an accident had occurred, much less than he might have been involved,” she said. “If Bill hit anything, let alone a person, he absolutely would have stopped. But he had no knowledge of the accident until law enforcement came knocking at his door.”
Krasnoff also said her client does not drink and was not drinking the day the crash happened.
Ella Adler was wakeboarding and celebrating a friend’s birthday near Key Biscayne, Florida, south of Miami. She fell in the water and was waiting to be towed back in by her boat when she was hit.
The other boat never stopped to check on the 15-year-old girl who was left critically injured in the water. Adler later died from her injuries.
The Adler family has been left devastated by the loss of a girl they called a force of nature. Passionate about ballet, she performed with the Miami City Ballet and had two siblings.
Adler’s grandfather is the U.S. ambassador to Belgium. First lady Dr. Jill Biden visited with the family, who said in a statement through their attorney that they were honored she paid a shiva call during a time of immense pain.
The family also added they have been friends with President Joe Biden and the first lady for more than 40 years.
Authorities say Alonso is cooperating with investigators and so far, there is no word on whether he will face any charges.
