A 79-year-old Florida boater accused of killing a teenage ballerina in a hit-and-run crash while she was wakeboarding in Miami avoided jail time after reaching a plea deal that resulted in probation and fines instead of incarceration, as reported by The New York Post.
Carlos Guillermo Alonso, who goes by “Bill,” was sentenced Monday in Miami-Dade County court to six months of probation and ordered to complete a boater-safety course in connection with the 2024 death of Ella Adler, according to the Key Biscayne Independent. Adler was 15 years old.
Alonso had been charged with two misdemeanor counts of careless vessel operation after authorities said he piloted his 42-foot yacht through a crowded Key Biscayne waterway and struck the teenager.
Carlos Guillermo “Bill” Alonso, 79, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor careless boating charges and was sentenced to six months’ probation and a boater-safety course in the May 2024 Biscayne Bay crash that killed 15-year-old Ella Adler. https://t.co/3If6LNHUUL
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 8, 2026
Under the plea agreement, Alonso avoided a possible 60-day county jail sentence and a formal criminal conviction.
The deal allows the charges to be dismissed entirely if Alonso completes probation without violations, his attorney, Lauren Field Krasnoff, said Tuesday.
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“Our hearts go out to the Adler family. This was a tragic accident, and of course, Bill never intended to hurt anyone that day,” Field Krasnoff said.
She said Alonso accepted the plea agreement in hopes of sparing the family further pain and drawing attention to the Ella Riley Adler Foundation.
As part of the sentence, Alonso was ordered to complete a 75-hour boating safety course, donate $5,000 to the Florida Crime Victims Compensation Fund in Adler’s memory, and pay a $500 state fine plus court costs.
He is also prohibited from operating a vessel during the probation period.
The fatal incident occurred in Key Biscayne, where Adler had been wakeboarding with friends to celebrate her birthday. Witnesses said she fell into the water and was treading water when she was struck and killed.
Adler was the granddaughter of former U.S. ambassador to Belgium Michael Adler.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission initially treated the case as a hit-and-run after investigators were unable to locate Alonso’s yacht.
The vessel was later found docked behind his home in a gated Coral Gables community.
Security-camera footage later released by Alonso’s attorneys showed him leaving earlier that day and returning calmly later in the afternoon. His legal team argued the footage demonstrated he did not realize he had struck someone.
Adler was a standout student at Ransom Everglades School, where she excelled in debate and dance. She had recently performed in “Chicago” and appeared more than 100 times with the Miami City Ballet.
Her father, Matthew Adler, addressed the court on Monday.
“Ella was extraordinary. She radiated joy, kindness, and creativity in every room she entered,” he said. “She didn’t just live. She danced through life.”
Matthew Adler also called for stricter regulations on Florida waterways.
“Too many children are dying on our waterways,” he said. “Imagine if someone proposed eliminating driver’s license insurance or accountability on the roads.”
Also charged in the case was Edmund Richard Hartley, the captain of the vessel towing Adler and another girl, who was not injured.
Hartley has pleaded not guilty to four counts of careless boating and navigation violations and faces up to 60 days in jail if convicted, according to the Key Biscayne Independent.
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