A man has admitted to causing the death of a 12-year-old girl in Mission Bay last year when his jet ski struck her while she was paddleboarding.
Arsanyous Refat Ghaly, now 20, pleaded guilty on Oct. 17 to vehicular manslaughter in the death of Savannah Peterson, who died after being struck unconscious in the De Anza Cove area along Mission Bay Drive.
District Attorney spokesperson Tanya Sierra said the proposed sentence for Ghaly includes him spending 50 days in a county work furlough facility on terms of two years probation. He could also face six months in jail, she said.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon set sentencing for Nov. 15. Ghaly remains free on bond.
The incident occurred July 29, 2023, and the girl’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against Ghaly, the City and County of San Diego, along with the San Diego Unified Port District, the state of California, and others.
Her parents, Ashley and Mark Peterson II described their daughter as “a bright, healthy 12-year-old who loved her family, her friends,” in a statement with the lawsuit.
“She is a light in our lives, and our hearts continue to break every day since we lost her,” her parents’ statement continued.
“We filed this lawsuit to hold people and entities accountable, to create and maintain safe places, and to follow and enforce the laws that are meant to protect us all,” the parents said.
The parents are expected to speak at the sentencing.
Ghaly’s attorney, Hakim Geris Hakim, said witnesses gave varying estimates of where the accident took place, noting “it’s difficult to give estimates on water.”
Ghaly was ordered to stand trial at the two-day preliminary hearing in June. Deputy District Attorney Savanah Howe said Ghaly rented jet skis from a company that was not properly licensed.
There is a speed limit of 5 mph within the first 100 feet from shore. Ghaly told police officers he was unaware of the 5 mph speed limit, and Howe said that was not an excuse because there was “a giant sign” that displayed the speed limit.
“He should have educated himself as to the rules,” said Howe at the hearing.
