logo
Skipper of NYC boat that burst into flames charged with drunken driving, released: ‘I had one beer'

Skipper of NYC boat that burst into flames charged with drunken driving, released: ‘I had one beer'

New York Post09-06-2025
This booze cruise didn't end well.
The captain of a 35-foot boat that burst into flames off the Bronx shoreline over the weekend was charged with drunk driving and released — after giving cops a lame excuse for the boozy blaze that injured nearly two dozen passengers, prosecutors said.
'I had one beer,' Joshua Brito, 33, allegedly told cops before being hit with drunken driving charges after the fiery Saturday night mishap, according to a complaint filed in Bronx Criminal Court.
Advertisement
3 Joshua Brito was charged with operating a vessel while under the influence after a Saturday night Bronx boat fire.
Peter Gerber
3 The Saturday night boat blaze near Hart Island left nearly two dozen passengers injured and the captain in cuffs.
FDNY
Cops arriving at the scene shortly before 8 p.m. on Saturday found Brito 'to have watery eyes and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath,' according to the criminal complaint.
Advertisement
He allegedly admitted to cops that he had an issue with the boat just days earlier.
'I picked up the group at World Fair,' he told police, the complaint said. 'I had an issue with the boat two days ago. I disconnected the generator.'
Brito pleaded not guilty to three counts of operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs following his arrest after the Carver 35 yacht exploded in Bronx waters near Hart Island.
3 The 35-foot Carver 35 yacht was torched by the Saturday night fire off the Bronx shoreline that injured 23 people.
TOMAS E. GASTON
Advertisement
Several boats were tied up near the doomed yacht when it burst into flames, leaving 23 people injured — including a 46-year-old man who was in the ICU on Sunday, a relative told The Post.
Police said Monday his condition remains unchanged.
The passengers swam to Hart Island and were later transported to City Island by the US Coast Guard.
Advertisement
The blaze is under investigation. It is unclear if disconnecting the generator could have caused the fire.
Police said Brito's blood alcohol level measured .05 when a test was administered at Jacobi Hospital Medical Center following the incident — above the .04 threshold for operating the boat under the influence.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Columbia janitors trapped, attacked by anti-Israel mob settle for undisclosed amount
Columbia janitors trapped, attacked by anti-Israel mob settle for undisclosed amount

New York Post

time2 hours ago

  • New York Post

Columbia janitors trapped, attacked by anti-Israel mob settle for undisclosed amount

Two Columbia University custodians, who filed complaints against the school over their chilling experiences of being trapped by an anti-Israel mob and forced to scrub swastikas, have decided to settle with the Ivy League, The Post has learned. Lester Wilson and Mario Torres, whose complaints sparked a civil rights probe, have opted to take advantage of Columbia's recently announced $220 million settlement for civil rights violations and racially discriminatory practices. The settlement is for an undisclosed amount of money. While that wraps up Wilson's and Torres' battle against Columbia, the two men are still forging ahead with their lawsuit against more than 40 protesters whom they allege held them hostage during the Hamilton Hall riot last year. Columbia had inked the $220 million deal with the Trump administration to restore the bulk of federal funding to the elite institution. 4 Mario Torres repeatedly dealt with anti-Israel agitators throughout last year. Getty Images The settlement featured $200 million for settling discrimination claims and about $20 million to employees who alleged they suffered civil rights violations. Wilson's and Torres' settlement comes from the $20 million pot specifically, as they had filed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints that sparked a civil rights probe into the school. Neither Wilson nor Torres is Jewish, but the two men were horrified and traumatized by the storm of anti-Israel protests that ripped through campus in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. 'The university set up the situation and ended up putting them into that situation, now the issue is holding accountable those who carried it out and were responsible for the takeover and the assault,' Brandeis Center president Alyza Lewin said in an interview. 4 The two janitors have not been able to return to work due to their injuries, a source told The Post. Getty Images The Brandeis Center and Torridon Law are working together on the ongoing lawsuit against the protesters. Both men had worked at the school for five years and suffered injuries during the protests and riots on campus. Neither man has been able to return to work since, a source told The Post. During the student takeover of Hamilton Hall in April of last year, Wilson and Torres were assaulted and chastised as 'Jew-lovers' by some of the rioters, according to the complaints they filed last October. ''I'm going to get twenty guys up here to f–k you up,'' one masked rioter who had 'violently' shoved Torres threatened, per his complaint. 'Mr. Torres pulled a fire extinguisher, which was within arm's reach, off the wall to defend himself and replied, 'I'll be right here.'' 4 The two janitors were traumatized by the hate they witnessed at Columbia University. Torres was repeatedly bludgeoned on his back by rioters before escaping, while Wilson had gotten shoved and had furniture pushed into him on his battle to get outside, per the complaints. Eventually, the NYPD intervened and cleared out the building, leading to over 100 arrests. Even before their traumatizing experience at Hamilton Hall, the two custodians had been forced to deal with racist and antisemitic graffiti scrawled on campus as early as November 2023. 'Mr. Wilson recognized the swastikas as symbols of white supremacy,' his complaint alleged. 'As an African-American man, he found the images deeply distressing. He reported them to his supervisors, who instructed him to erase the graffiti. 'No matter how many times Mr. Wilson removed the swastikas, individuals kept replacing them with more.' Torres, who is Latino, counted up dozens of swastikas that he was forced to scrub and grew enraged over time as he kept seeing the hateful graffiti around Hamilton Hall. 4 Columbia University has since agreed to a settlement and to change its policies to combat antisemitism on campus. Getty Images He was particularly troubled by the fact that Columbia didn't take aggressive action against the perpetrators, given that the school has security feeds and requires an electronic ID to get into the hall, which is nestled on the school's Morningside Heights campus. 'They were so offensive, and Columbia's inaction was so frustrating, that he eventually began throwing away chalk that had been left in the classrooms so vandals would not have anything to write with,' Torres' complaint alleged. 'However, Mr. Torres was reprimanded by his supervisor for doing so.' At one point, after Wilson reported a masked protester running through Hamilton Hall chanting, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' and scribling swastikas in the building, campus security told him that 'the trespassers and vandals were exercising their First Amendment rights' and that 'nothing could be done,' according to his complaint. Former US Attorney General Bill Barr's firm Torridon represented the two janitors in their complaint against Columbia. The Post contacted Columbia for comment. Additional reporting by David Propper

Nassau County Exec Blakeman shuts down Dems storming ICE jail in surprise visit: ‘Nothing to hide'
Nassau County Exec Blakeman shuts down Dems storming ICE jail in surprise visit: ‘Nothing to hide'

New York Post

time3 hours ago

  • New York Post

Nassau County Exec Blakeman shuts down Dems storming ICE jail in surprise visit: ‘Nothing to hide'

Nassau County's top elected official shrugged off a stunt by Democratic lawmakers who showed up to inspect a jail where the county is holding detainees under a controversial deal with federal immigration authorities. Republican Bruce Blakeman said Nassau has 'nothing to hide' after the pair of Democrats were briefly denied entry on Wednesday to a section of the county jail where 50 cells are reserved for holding alleged illegal immigrants sent for deportation by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages were turned away at 10:15 a.m. but were let into the area after Blakeman was informed of their arrival. 4 Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman shrugged off a stunt by Democratic lawmakers who showed up at the East Meadow Jail to inspect conditions where detainees are being held under a controversial deal with ICE agents. Brigitte Stelzer The section of the jail, which is cut off from the rest of the facility, was holding 14 inmates at the time. 'We welcome their visit, I'm glad they came,' Blakeman told reporters outside his office Wednesday afternoon, hours after the visit had concluded. 'Any misunderstandings or rumors could be set aside by showing them what is actually going on here —- and they indicated to my staff that they were very satisfied — we have nothing to hide.' But Solages and Salazar told The Post the conditions the detainees were forced to stay in were 'less than basic.' Solages said the men they saw are not allowed any outdoor time or even a single shower during their 72-hour stays at the county jail while they await deportation or transfer. 4 State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages appeared at the jail before being turned away at 10:15 a.m. Paul Martinka She also said that the detainees she spoke to claimed not to have any criminal records, and are only guilty of the civil offense regarding their immigration status. 'There are people in there who have not committed any crime other than the civil offense for immigration,' Solages told The Post. Blakeman said he couldn't say whether detainees are facing any criminal charges beyond their immigration status — as ICE does not share any detainee info with the county. 4 A portion of the facility that is cut off from the rest of the building was holding 14 inmates at the time. Stefan Jeremiah The visit also quickly prompted a new directive by Blakeman, who instructed jail officials to begin allowing ICE detainees access to showers. 'We believe they are not entitled to a shower,' Blakeman told reporters outside his office. 'But upon learning that today, I have directed the Sheriff's Department to make sure any prisoner who wants a shower while they're here, can get a shower.' 4 Blakeman later told reporters he was glad the lawmakers came as he said, 'Any misunderstandings or rumors could be set aside by showing them what is actually going on here.' Brigitte Stelzer Since February, the county has held more than 1,400 migrants under a deal with the federal government that counters other municipalities' sanctuary policies. Nassau is paid $195 per detainee, per night, and allows ICE to detain anyone around the metropolitan area at the East Meadow jail for up to 72 hours. As part of the partnership, 10 Nassau detectives have completed training to be deputized as ICE agents and are awaiting final authorization to assist in deportations. Since January, local police have already turned over at least 15 undocumented migrants to ICE after unrelated arrests, ranging from grand larceny to child endangerment. The partnership has sparked backlash from immigrant rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, who warn that Nassau could be opening itself up to legal and constitutional challenges — similar to those faced by neighboring Suffolk County.

Damning Report Proves Signal Messages Were Classified Despite Trump's Claims
Damning Report Proves Signal Messages Were Classified Despite Trump's Claims

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Damning Report Proves Signal Messages Were Classified Despite Trump's Claims

A shock new report has revealed that the leaked Signal messages that Trump aides inadvertently sent to a journalist in March were classified, despite President Donald Trump claiming otherwise. An independent watchdog told The Washington Post that messages from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Signal account disclosing a U.S. bomb campaign originated from a classified email labeled 'SECRET/NOFORN.' The reveal contradicts longstanding claims by Trump and his staff that no classified information was shared in the chat. The 'SECRET' classification showcases that the information was so classified that unauthorized disclosure could be a risk to national security. 'NOFORN' is a phrase that means it was not meant for anyone who is a foreign national, even allies. During a March press conference regarding the Signal chat, Trump said that no classified information was shared. The Post's new report says otherwise. The bombshell comes as the Defense Department inspector general's office conducts an inquiry into the messages, as requested by Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee shortly after the scandal broke. The Pentagon denied the Post's report and maintained that the messages were declassified. 'This Signal narrative is so old and worn out, it's starting to resemble Joe Biden's mental state,' Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to the Daily Beast. 'The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal. As we've said repeatedly, nobody was texting war plans and the success of the Department's recent operations—from Operation Rough Rider to Operation Midnight Hammer—are proof that our operational security and discipline are top notch.' The 'Signalgate' fiasco rocked the White House in March after now-ousted National Security Adviser Mike Waltz added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to the group chat. The chat was created on a commercial messaging app called Signal to discuss a bomb operation in Yemen. Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg exposed the administration in an article titled 'The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.' Soon after, critics slammed the administration for the move and questioned why high-level officials would use such vulnerable modes of communication. The strike plans had been shared in a classified 'SECRET' email with more than a dozen defense officials by Gen. Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, the top commander overseeing Middle East military operations in the Middle East. They were then shared via the Signal group chat by Hegseth's account on March 15, only moments before the U.S. struck Yemen. Kurilla sent his sensitive message over the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, a classified system. But the message later shared by Hegseth was not over the same highly guarded system—it was on a Signal group chat. Along with discussing the timing of the strikes, top Trump aides also used a number of emojis to celebrate the attack—including an American flag, flame, fist and bicep. The chat also included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The shared messages included highly sensitive information: the day's strike plan, when the bombing was set to begin, what aircraft would be used, and what weapons would be involved. Trump fired Waltz from his post shortly after the public outrage that followed the scandal. But a number of Democrats and at least one Republican lawmaker have also called for Hegseth to be removed. Hegseth's time at the White House has been rocky and defined by frequent infighting and turnover. The findings of the Defense Department inspector general's office are expected to be released within a few months and may put Hegseth's job security at risk.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store