The Florida boater suspected of operating the vessel that hit and killed a 15-year-old ballerina claims he “had absolutely no idea” his boat was allegedly involved in the hit-and-run crash, his attorney says.
Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables, is accused of running over Ella Riley Adler in his 42-foot-long Boston Whaler last Saturday in Biscayne Bay and fleeing, according to an incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Alonso’s attorney, Lauren Field Krasnoff, said her client is devastated over the tragedy but had no idea he was a key suspect when police questioned him about the incident.
Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, has been identified as the driver of the boat that struck and killed the teen ballerina from Miami Beach. WSVN
Ella Adler was remembered as a talented dancer, having appeared in more than 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet. Ransom Everglades School
Mourners support one another as they exit Temple Beth Sholom after the funeral service for 15-year-old Ella Adler, Monday, May 13, 2024. AP
Witnesses said the boater did not slow down or stop after striking Ella Adler, who was in the water after falling while wakeboarding. NBC 6 South Florida“We don’t know at this time whether [Alonso] or his boat were the boat involved in the crash,” Krasnoff told NBC 6. “If his boat was involved, I can tell you he had absolutely no idea that that is what happened that day. He is as devastated as anybody could be.”
The FWC’s report lists Alonso, who is cooperating with the investigation, as the sole occupant of the boat that slammed against Adler while she was in the water celebrating a friend’s birthday.
Krasnoff reiterated that nothing seemed off to her client on the day of the incident, with Alonso, a boater of more than 50 years, docking “his boat in plain sight” and going about his day as usual.
She added that Alonso, a Cuba native who arrived in the US under Operation Peter Pan (which ran from 1960 to 1962), has no criminal record and does not drink, nor was he drinking the day Adler was hit.
“We are devastated for the Adlers, for their friends, for their family — there’s no question in our minds that this is an absolutely horrific thing that happened and we pray for and think of their family and friends during this time,” Krasnoff told the local outlet.
Follow along with The Post's coverage of 15-year-old Ella Riley Adler's death after being hit by a boat
- Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables, Florida, is accused of running over 15-year-old ballerina Ella Riley Adler in his 42-foot-long Boston Whaler last Saturday. Witnesses said he did not slow down or stop.
- Following the deadly collision, Adler’s bloodied body was retrieved by the boat she had been wakeboarding from and her friends on board called for help, but she could not be saved.
- “You were taken from us way too soon, and the world has been robbed of all the things you could have achieved,” grieving father Matthew Adler wrote in an emotional letter that was read at the funeral.
- Alonso is cooperating with the investigation, and his boat has been taken to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission facility for investigators to examine for evidence, officials said.
- The boater claims he “had absolutely no idea” his craft was allegedly involved in the hit-and-run crash, his attorney says.
No charges have been filed against Alonso as the investigation is ongoing, with the FWC taking the septuagenarian’s boat to a facility for examination, officials said.
“You were taken from us way too soon, and the world has been robbed of all the things you could have achieved,” Ella’s father, Matthew Adler, wrote in an emotional letter read at her funeral. Matthew Adler / Facebook
Alsono has been cooperating with the investigation and his boat has been collected as evidence. WSVNFollowing the deadly collision, Adler’s bloodied body was retrieved by the boat she had been wakeboarding from and her friends on board called for help, but she could not be saved.
Friends and family packed her funeral on Monday to say goodbye to the talented dancer, who appeared in more than 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet.
“You were taken from us way too soon, and the world has been robbed of all the things you could have achieved,” grieving father Matthew Adler wrote in an emotional letter that was read at the funeral.






