Speed boat driver is arrested after glamorous Miami woman, 28, was killed after he crashed
A speedboat driver was arrested months after a glamorous woman was ejected from his boat and died in Florida.
Reinaldo Aquit, 48, of Miami Beach, was arrested on Friday for the death of Stephanie Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, who died in November after being ejected from his 39-foot boat following a sharp turn.
Aquit was operating the boat recklessly and took a sharp turn, causing the boat to roll over, ejecting six of the passengers on his voyage between Miami and Key West.
Rodriguez was the only passenger to die in the incident. The others were collected by a Good Samaritan who stopped to help. They were taken to the hospital.
'The tragic death of this young woman was completely avoidable,' Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Major Alberto Maza told NBC Miami in a statement.
'We continue to think of Ms. Rodriguez's friends and family as they grieve her loss.'
Aquit was booked into the Monroe County Sheriff's Office jail and was charged with felony vessel homicide, and eight misdemeanors. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Rodriguez was the youngest of four and had three older brothers. Her brothers remember her as being a giving person, who loved to travel and was full of life.
'She lit up any room she went into,' her brother, Ricky Rodriguez, emotionally told NBC Miami. 'My sister was special, she was special.'
Her relative Jorge Perez said she often 'gave me a lot of advice,' despite being 'a lot younger than me,' he told the outlet.
'We're just relying on God to get us through this,' he said in November.
The family started a GoFundMe for her funeral and other expenses. It has garnered more than $40,000.
Rodriguez was the youngest of four and had three older brothers. Her brothers remember her as being a giving person, who loved to travel and was full of life
'Stephanie was a kind, loving, and playful person whose warmth touched everyone she met. To know her was to love her,' the fundraiser said.
'Her sudden departure has left her family and friends heartbroken and struggling to comprehend this immense loss.'
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