Tycoon Arrested After Both His Sons Are Thrown Off His Boat, Tragically Killing His 11-Year-Old
A property tycoon from one of Mexico’s wealthiest families was taken into custody this weekend after both his sons were thrown overboard his boat and into the ship’s path, tragically killing the younger one of the two.
Following the fatal incident on Sunday, Javier Burillo was arrested at his Belvedere, California, mansion and stands accused of causing the death of his 11-year-old son, as well as for allegedly operating his boat under the influence, the Marin Independent Journal reports.
Burillo’s 27-year-old son luckily survived the incident but suffered cuts to his leg and was transported to Marin General Hospital, according to the outlet.
Tiburon police Chief Mike Cronin told the Marin Independent Journal that the tragedy unfolded on Sunday, as Burillo, 57, was sailing from San Francisco to the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon with his two sons.
As the trio neared Angel Island, that’s when the 11-year-old and 27-year-old were thrown off the 35-foot Protector boat, Cronin said. The police chief also noted that both of Burillo’s sons were struck by the boat in the water as the father attempted to rescue them.
The 27-year-old was pulled from the rough waters first. Once he was successfully aboard the ship, he quickly helped his father grab his 11-year-old brother out of the water, the chief said. The two sons were then transported to the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon, where Burillo is a member, the outlet reports.
The Belvedere Police Department and Tiburon Fire Protection District paramedics arrived at the yacht club around 7 p.m. after Burillo reported that his 11-year-old son was injured and unconscious while his elder son was injured, The Ark reports.
When authorities arrived at the docks, they pronounced the 11-year-old, whose name has not been released, dead at the scene. The older son was transported to a local hospital with “severe leg lacerations,” according to The Ark.
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Following the investigation, police found Burillo at his Bellevue Avenue home, where he was given a breathalyzer test that confirmed he had likely been drinking while operating the boat, as his blood-alcohol concentration was above the .08 legal limit, authorities allege.
Authorities then arrested Burillo and booked him into Marin County Jail, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
He was charged on a suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with a vessel, willful harm or injury to a child, and operating a boat while under the influence, and has been released on $1 million bail. It was not immediately clear if Burillo had a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
At this time, it is unclear what caused Burillo’s sons to be thrown overboard and whether they were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.
Police Chief Cronin did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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The 11-year-old’s cause and manner of death are pending a post-mortem examination and toxicology test, which is scheduled for this week, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Tiburon Police Department, the United States Coast Guard, and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
Burillo, whose full name is Javier Burillo Azcarraga, is a prominent property developer in Mexico and the United States, according to The Ark and the New York Times. The California resident owns multiple restaurants, homes in Corinthian Island and Kenwood, and is the developer of Las Ventanas al Paraiso, an award-winning resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.
Burillo’s family also owns Televisa, a major Mexican media conglomerate that is reportedly the largest producer and broadcaster of Spanish media in the world, The Ark reports.
The outlet reports that his 11-year-old son had special needs and previously attended Escuela Bilingue Internacional in Emeryville for two years, but recently switched over to being home-schooled.
