Father arrested after son dies in boating mishap near Angel Island

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The father of an 11-year-old Tiburon boy who died in a boating mishap near Angel Island on Sunday has been arrested on manslaughter charges, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.

Javier Burillo, 57, a prominent developer, was on a private pleasure boat when his two sons, the 11-year-old boy and a 27-year-old man, were ejected into the water and struck by the boat.

Tiburon police said either they hit a swell or a wave. But they were in the bow of the boat. 

Burillo's older son was able to help Burillo recover the 11-year-old boy, and the vessel went to the Corinthian Yacht Harbor in Tiburon, where the boy was pronounced dead. The older son suffered leg 
lacerations and was taken to Marin General Hospital, police said. His injuries are considered non-life threatening. 

Tiburon police contacted Burillo at his nearby Belvedere residence. After an investigation by Tiburon and Belvedere police, Burillo was arrested and booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of vehicular 
manslaughter during operation of a vessel, willful harm or injury to a child and reckless or negligent operation of a vessel, Tiburon police Chief Michael Cronin said.

"It's a tragedy. We are all heartsick about this," said Cronin.

Burillo is being held in jail under $1 million bail. 

"The community is shattered. It is a tragic event for not only the individuals but the community," said Cronin.

According to the Associated Press, Burillo is a wealthy property developer known for lavish hotels and restaurants throughout Mexico and a member of one of the richest and most powerful families in Mexico. 

Neighbors described Burillo as nice, but private. 

U.S. property records show his Marin County home was purchased in 2004 for $10.2 million. U.S. records show he and his wife, Rose, also own properties in San Diego and Sausalito.

The chief said it is difficult arresting someone who just lost a child.

"The officers interviewing him determined they had probable cause for intoxication. We have duty to enforce the law. That's what we did as painful as that is sometimes," said Cronin.

Police said Burillo is cooperating with authorities.