Operator of boat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing mom and baby, pleads not guilty
Federal authorities said Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Urmana, whose last name was originally reported as Hernandez-Umana, entered the U.S. illegally and was illegally operating a 22-foot boat, loaded with 14 people, when on Aug. 9 when it capsized, killing two people. Credit: AP/Larry Neumeister
The Salvadoran national charged in connection with illegally operating a boat that capsized last month in New York Harbor near Liberty Island, killing a woman and her baby, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to two counts of misconduct and negligence by a ship officer resulting in death. He was ordered held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
Federal authorities said 46-year-old Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Urmana, whose last name was originally reported as Hernandez-Umana, entered the U.S. illegally and was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. U.S. officials said he was illegally operating a 22-foot boat, loaded with 14 people, when he made a U-turn into a swell on Aug. 9, swamping the vessel and causing it to overturn. Twelve people were rescued from the water in stable condition, but according to the NYPD and U.S. Coast Guard the two victims — identified as Queens resident Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia — were pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
The Coast Guard and federal authorities said the boat had a maximum capacity of 10 and that Hernandez-Urmanalacked proper licensing, and the infant was not provided with a life vest.
In a statement posted to the official Department of Homeland Security ICE website on Thursday, authorities said Hernandez-Urmana, of Manville, New Jersey, has a previous criminal history "spanning three states that includes soliciting prostitution, assault, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment."
In that statement, acting ICE director David J. Venturella said: "This heartbreaking loss underscores exactly why immigration enforcement matters: This man entered the U.S. without being admitted, inspected or paroled more than 25 years ago, and ICE has arrested him twice. Our agency works every day to identify, arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens before they can cause further harm in our communities."
In addition to the criminal charges against Hernandez-Urmana in connection with the fatal boating accident, his subsequent arrest by ICE-Newark resulted in him being charged with being in the U.S. in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
That case is pending immigration proceedings.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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