Driver identified in hit-and-run accident in Key Biscayne

Authorities in South Florida have identified the person who killed a 15-year-old girl in a hit-and-run over the weekend.

Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables was piloting a 42-foot Boston Whaler in Key Biscayne when officials said his boat struck Ella Riley Adler, according to a Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report obtained by the Palm Beach Post , part of, is the USA TODAY NETWORK.

According to the report, the girl fell into the water while wakeboarding before being hit by Alonso’s ship.

The man driving the boat left the scene of the accident without stopping, witnesses told the agency. According to the report, Ella was recovered by the other boat but died from her injuries.

Here’s what we know so far about the fatal hit-and-run accident:

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When was Ella Adler hit by a boat?

According to new information released in the report, Ella was struck while wakeboarding in the waters off Key Biscayne on Saturday afternoon.

Initial reports from the FWC indicated the girl had been water skiing.

The agency reported that Ella fell into the sea near Nixon Beach while being towed about a mile from shore and was struck by another vessel at 4:30 p.m

The beach is located in Miami-Dade County about 7 miles south of downtown Miami.

Ella was wakeboarding behind a 42-foot 2017 Hanse Fjord yacht near a sandbar while another unidentified woman was riding a wake surfboard, officials wrote in the report.

Ella and the other woman who was towed fell into the water at different times and in different places.

While waiting to be rescued from her boat, she was struck by another vessel and fled the scene, officials said. A witness said the boat did not appear to swerve or slow down when it hit the girl.

Ella, who was wearing a life jacket, died from her injuries.

Who is Carlos Guillermo Alonso?

Alonso is 78 and lives in Coral Gables. The city is approximately 5 miles from downtown Miami. According to his lawyer Lauren Krasnoff, her client’s name is Bill.

Investigators said it was unclear whether Alonso knew Ella had been hit or whether alcohol played a role.

Krasnoff told USA TODAY on Friday that Alonso doesn’t drink and didn’t know he hit anyone on the water.

Here’s a full statement his attorney released to USA TODAY:

“This is the worst tragedy ever and before we say anything else, we would like to express our deepest condolences to Ella Adler’s family and friends.

There have been numerous requests for Carlos Alonso, who goes by “Bill,” to make a statement. As this is an ongoing investigation with which he is cooperating fully, he will not be making any statement to the media other than to say that he was completely devastated to learn that he may have been involved in this terrible tragedy.

I can tell you that Bill, who has been boating for 50 years and is a very experienced boater who knows these waters, was out on the boat alone on Saturday. He has no knowledge that he was involved in this accident. If he hit Ella that day, he certainly didn’t know it. If Bill thought he had hit anything, he definitely would have stopped. But at no point did he think he had hit anything, let alone a person. He docked his boat in plain sight right behind his house. When Fish and Wildlife contacted Bill on Sunday, he didn’t know why they reached out to him. He didn’t even know there was an accident on the water the day before, but he immediately met with law enforcement, spoke to them without a lawyer, and has been cooperating with law enforcement since then.

Bill is 78 years old and came to the United States from Cuba as part of Operation Peter Pan. He never had any contact with the criminal justice system. He does not drink and was not drinking on Saturday, May 11, and he was operating his boat safely and at a reasonable speed.

Bill is a good man and he is deeply devastated by the loss of this intelligent, educated and beautiful young woman. He has cooperated 100% with law enforcement and will continue to do so. As I said, this is an ongoing investigation. Therefore, we will not be making any further comment at this time.

The FWC reported that Alonso’s vessel was in custody Tuesday and Alonso was cooperating with the investigation.

Has anyone been arrested in connection with Ella Adler’s death?

Officials did not say whether Alonso was charged in connection with the fatal hit-and-run.

They also did not say what day they found the suspicious ship.

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Who was Ella Adler?

Ella, a ballerina, lived in Miami Beach and attended Ransom Everglades High School in Miami, according to officials.

“She was a force of nature, and when she was around everyone felt an attraction to her,” her obituary reads. “She loved to dance, she loved her friends and most of all she loved her family.”

According to the Miami Herald, she is the granddaughter of Michael Adler, the current US ambassador to Belgium.

She is survived by her parents, Amanda and Matthew Adler, as well as her younger siblings, Jaden and Adalynn, and many other relatives.

Reward for Ella Adler’s fatal hit-and-run accident

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information in the case – $10,000 from Ella’s family and a total of $10,000 from FWC and Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact the appropriate authorities.

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