Family Wants Criminal Charges in Bimini Fatal Boat Crash

The family of tourists killed in a boating accident in Bimini, hopes the captain faces criminal charges in the Bahamas or the United States.

The family of Javier Perez and his girlfriend Carolyn Alvarez thinks Josbel  Fernandez is responsible for their deaths after he and Violeta Khouri, invited them for an evening trip on Fernandez’s 32-foot Everglades boat on July 2nd.

Perez died at sea, Alvarez is still missing and Khouri suffered a broken back.

The family told the Miami Herald that Fernandez, may have been drunk at the time of the accident and delayed calling authorities. They said Fernandez, instead called Bimini resident Stanley Stuart and another man before calling authorities.

Stuart told the Miami Herald that Fernandez had slurred speech and acted aggressively.

“He was drunk. He was wasted,” Stuart said.

A police report from the Royal Bahamas Police Force shows that officers “collected an assortment of alcoholic beverages for evidential purposes” from the salvaged boat.

Although Fernandez has not been charged with a crime, Alvarez’s mother wants him to be criminally charged.

Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle did not provide any details on the case, but said the investigation is still open.

“I have submitted the file to my legal department for review and have supplied the legal representatives for the family a copy of the file through the Embassy of the United States in The Bahamas. As such I am unable to comment further on your inquiries at this time,” Police Commissioner Paul Rolle said in a statement issued Monday.