Two Suspects Criminally Charged in Florida After Boat Balloon-Popping Video Goes Viral
“They basically littered our bay, our blue treasure here, with hundreds of balloons. And that’s what was so alarming,” said George A. Perez, interim director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Two suspects are facing criminal charges after a viral video showed dozens of balloons being popped on the side of the boat in Miami, landing into the water below.
The incident happened in Biscayne Bay, and the guy taking the video couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Gotta love Miami charter boats. Let's throw a party, pop every single balloon on the bow of the boat just right into the water,” the stunned bystander said.
Dozens of the rubber balloons were seen floating away.
Tom Rivas chartered the boat to propose to girlfriend. He says he had no idea how staff were going to dispose of the balloons and only found out about the incident after the fact.
“It certainly was not the right thing to do. It’s something that we and I do not condone,” Rivas said.
Martina Gaspoz, 26, and 29-year-old David Torres-Bocanegra have been charged with felony disregard for the environment.
“They basically littered our bay, our blue treasure here, with hundreds of balloons. And that’s what was so alarming,” said George A. Perez, interim director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The two suspects each face thousands of dollars in fines and possible jail time, if convicted.
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