Tugboat captain pleads guilty over Biscayne Bay sailing camp crash that killed 3 girls

[00:00:00]Right now at noon, the tugboat captain charged in a boating crash that killed three little girls was back in court today and he changed his plea after the summer camp tragedy.

[00:00:08]>> It comes almost a year after the deadly boating crash in Biscane Bay. Local tren Kelly live with more on what happened in court today. Trent.

[00:00:16]>> Yeah, Christy and Eric, the captain of that tugboat which caused this deadly collision officially changing his plea here at the federal courthouse today from not guilty to guilty. As part of that agreement, his defense team and prosecutors are now seeking a sentence of a year and a day in federal prison.

[00:00:36]The judge in this case, however, not required to follow that agreement. She could potentially sentence him up to 10 years in prison.

[00:00:45]This morning, my client accepted responsibility before Judge Pacer for his criminal negligence in the tragic boating accident that occurred almost a year ago on July 28th.

[00:00:58]>> Nearly a year after a deadly boat collision in Biscane Bay that claimed the lives of three young girls, the man at the helm of one of the vessels involved now accepting responsibility.

[00:01:08]>> My client is deeply remorseful for his conduct. It feels awful. 47year-old UCL Lopez Insua pleading guilty in federal court today to charges of seaman's manslaughter. Prosecutors say last July the tugboat he was captaining pushed a construction barge into a stalled sailboat carrying a camp counselor and five children taking part in a Miami yacht club sailing program. 7-year-old Mila Yankovich, 13-year-old Aaron Cohan, and 11-year-old Ari Buckman were killed in the crash after being thrown off their sailboat and dragged underneath the barge by their life jackets. Federal investigators say Lopez and Sua had an obstructed view and failed to alter his speed despite the camp counselor's attempts to get his attention. They also say his cell phone showed activity around the time of the collision, visiting websites including eBay and Amazon and that he had experienced previous near misses with other sailboats in the same area.

[00:02:09]>> Also about the unimaginable pain and loss suffered by the three families who lost their three very young daughters.

[00:02:18]As part of the plea change, federal prosecutors and Lopez Ensua's defense team will now seek a sentence of one year and one day in prison along with 6 months of home confinement. The judge, however, is not required to follow that recommendation and could sentence him to as many as 10 years behind bars. His sentencing now scheduled for October.

[00:02:40]Our thoughts today remain with each of the families as they continue to endure this profound tragedy.

[00:02:53]And that sentencing is scheduled to take place on October the 13th. We're told the families of some of those victims will be in court for that hearing. We'll be there as well and we'll let you know what the judge decides. For now, that is the latest. Live outside the federal courthouse in downtown Miami.