Belvedere father’s charges reduced in boy’s boating death

Felony charges leveled against prominent Belvedere land developer Javier Burillo after a boating accident killed his 11-year-old son have been reduced to misdemeanors by a Marin judge who called the incident “a tragic confluence of circumstances” that merited reduced culpability.

The June 16 decision came after days of extensive witness testimony exploring the circumstances of the Sept. 15, 2019, accident near Angel Island that also severely injured Burillo’s older son.

As a result, Burillo reportedly no longer faces a potential prison term. The original felony charges — manslaughter, child endangerment and operation of a watercraft while under the influence — carried up to nine years in state prison.

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