NJ man charged in boat hit near Statue of Liberty

Police have charged a New Jersey father with vehicular manslaughter and operating a vessel while intoxicated after his boat struck another at anchor, killing a groom-to-be in New York Harbor.

Richard Aquilone, of Jersey City, was arrested Friday evening after his 30-foot Proline collided with a 17-foot boat anchored near Liberty Island.

Jijo Punthuvamkunnath, 30, of Bergenfield, N.J., was killed in the smaller boat, police said. Two friends with him, both also 30, had minor injuries.

Aquilone, 39, had his wife, son, 3, and another son and daughter, both 2, in his boat. None of them were hurt.

Puthuvamkunnath was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries.

Puthuvamkunnath was going to marry his fiance, Sissy Chacko, on Aug. 28, his aunt, Aleyamma Varughese, told The Associated Press Saturday.

"He was a very, very wonderful young man," Varughese said. "He was loved by everybody."

A Circle Line tourist boat, the Shark, reported the accident by radio, police said. NYPD harbor units arrived about 6:21 p.m. A police spokesman said the exact cause of accident is being investigated.

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office said Aquilone pleaded not guilty Saturday at his arraignment on charges of vehicular manslaughter, operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

He was ordered held on $50,000 bond or cash bail and is due in court Thursday. Police said Aquilone failed a breath-alcohol test, but his blood-alcohol reading was not immediately available.