The operator of a boat that capsized in New York Harbor, resulting in the deaths of a mother and her baby daughter, is in federal custody. Manuel Hernandez, 46, was scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday afternoon.
Prosecutors have taken Hernandez into federal custody following the incident that occurred Saturday night. He had initially been arrested on state charges, including 13 counts of reckless endangerment, according to the New York Police Department.
The Coast Guard is investigating whether the vessel was operating as an illegal charter. The boat overturned near the Statue of Liberty, sending all 14 individuals on board into the water. The New York Police Department identified the victims as 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, both residents of Queens, New York. Sources indicated that Sanchez and Garcia were mother and daughter.
Twelve survivors were rescued from the water with minor injuries, the Coast Guard confirmed. Sanchez is survived by her husband, who was also on the boat and survived the incident, and a 6-year-old son who was not present on the vessel.