Drunken boater charged with manslaughter after running over 11-year-old son: Police
The Bay Area father of an 11-year-old child has been charged with manslaughter after he allegedly ran over his son with his boat this weekend after he had been drinking.
Javier Burillo, 57, was arrested in Marin County, California, one day after the incident on Sunday near Angel Island, according to authorities.
Burillo is a prominent real estate developer in Mexico and built the swanky Las Ventanas al Paraiso luxury hotel in San Jose del Cabo, according to a Marin Magazine article from 2008. He also owns a home on the exclusive Corinthian Island in San Francisco Bay, purchased in 2004 for $10.2 million, according to San Francisco ABC station KGO.
Burillo's two sons were ejected from his 33-foot, twin-engine boat near Angel Island at about 7 p.m. on Sunday when the boat allegedly hit a wave, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. When the boater tried to rescue his 27-year-old and 11-year-old sons they were struck by the ship. Both were pulled aboard the boat and taken to the nearby Corinthian Yacht Club where they were met by first responders.
"Tragically and unfortunately, one child sustained severe traumatic injuries as result of this incident and his death was pronounced on the scene at the yacht club, dockside," the Marin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
Authorities said they were unsure if the child was swept under the boat after falling off, or when the boat was turned around to find them.
Burillo's 27-year-old son was taken to the hospital with cuts to his legs and is expected to recover.
"It's very difficult. This gentleman is going through unimaginable pain," Tiburon Police Chief Michael Cronin said at a press conference Monday. "And we have no desire to contribute to that, but we need to enforce the law."
Burillo is facing charges of vehicular manslaughter while operating a vehicle, willful harm or injury to a child and reckless or negligent operation of a vessel. Police said he submitted to a breathalyzer test, which he failed.
Burillo posted $1-million bail late Monday afternoon, KGO reported.
"He was operating the boat -- he had that choice -- and the negligent part of it is the alcohol," Cronin said.
"Officers in interviewing him felt they had a probable cause for intoxication," he added. "We enforced the law."
Cronin said an investigation continues and he wasn't sure if Burillo was driving too fast.
ABC News' Rayquan Taylor contributed to this report.
