Tech CEO and guest on Bravo’s reality show ‘Below Deck’ is charged with murder in hit-and-run crash

A former charter guest on Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean and CEO William “Billy” Rodriguez has been charged with murder and other offenses in a 2024 fatal Palm Springs hit-and-run.

The 47-year-old was arrested last week and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, California.

He appeared in court on October 15 and pleaded not guilty to murder, felony hit-and-run, and driving with a suspended license in connection with the death of 60-year-old Christina Barrington, who was struck while driving a scooter, according to Newsweek.

Although prosecutors requested that he be held without bail due to his 2013 DUI and history of driving on a suspended license, a judge granted Rodriguez bail, and he has since been released, attorney David Greenberg told KESQ.

Rodriguez is known as the co-founder and CEO of Silvercrest Advertising, a company specializing in automated marketing platforms for major franchise brands.

William ‘Billy’ Rodriguez is charged with murder after allegedly striking a woman on a scooter with his car in Palm Springs in October 2024 (Cathedral City Police)He also appeared as a charter guest on seasons 7 and 8 of Below Deck Mediterranean, which aired in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The reality show follows the lives of young people who work aboard yachts and cater to their high-end clients.

On October 11, 2024, Rodriguez allegedly hit Barrington with his car after leaving an Eric Clapton concert at Acrisure Arena and visiting two bars in downtown Palm Springs, authorities say.

He allegedly drove 65 mph in a 45-mph zone before fleeing the scene, dragging the scooter nearly 1,400 feet.

Rodriguez reportedly left for Las Vegas the next day, where surveillance showed him holding alcoholic drinks. Police say he told his employees that his car had been stolen and wrecked.

Greenberg says they dispute the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office’s claim that Rodriguez tried to flee authorities at Acrisure Arena, California, when they tried to make contact with him.

“My understanding is that there were police there, but my client did not do anything in any way to avoid them,” Greenberg told KESQ. “He didn’t know they were there. He didn’t know they were looking for him. So he’s allowed to come and go as he pleases again, not against the law.”

Rodriguez’s next court appearance is set for Friday.