The manslaughter sentencing for a 20-year-old man who caused the death of a young Pacific Beach girl when his jet ski struck her got off to a rocky start Friday, Nov. 15 – and ended with him handcuffed and off to jail for 230 days.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon scolded Arsanyous Refat Ghaly for being 45 minutes late to the sentencing concerning the death of Savannah Peterson, 12, in Mission Bay on July 29, 2023.

“There was a courtroom full of people waiting,” Shamoon told him.

Ghaly said he was driving from Los Angeles and there was an accident on the freeway.

“Then you should have started earlier,” replied Shamoon.

Ghaly also said he was late because he was nervous about the sentencing.

That rocky exchange with the judge didn’t help, and she sentenced Ghaly to 230 days in county jail on two years probation. He was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom in front of his family members and friends who came for support. A tearful woman in that group quickly left the courtroom.

An earlier agreement with the District Attorney’s office was shattered in which he was going to spend 150 days in a work furlough project and be confined only nights and weekend while he worked in the daytime. Ghaly’s job didn’t qualify for the program.

Deputy District Attorney Savanah Howe said she wondered if Ghaly had remorse for the girl’s death, considering he did “not show up on time” for sentencing.

Howe said in Ghaly’s interview with the probation department, “his concern is not for the girl’s life, but his concern is for his phone, his college, his job.”

Shamoon said she also noticed that Ghaly was more interested in whether he would have access to his phone after his sentence and whether she would suspend his driver’s license.

She asked Ghaly if he wished to withdraw his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter and go to trial if he did not believe he was responsible for the girl’s death. She quoted Ghaly as telling officials he thought the girl or her family bore some responsibility.

Ghaly said no, he did believe he was responsible, and that he had caused her death. There is a speed limit of 5 mph within 100 feet of the shore in Mission Beach. Ghaly said he didn’t know about that, and the prosecutor said there was a large sign in Mission Beach showing this info.

Ashley Peterson wept as she described the effects of Savannah’s death on the Pacific Beach family, including their youngest son, and having to call her husband who was deployed overseas on a Navy ship in the Middle East at the time.

“The world isn’t as bright as when Savannah was here,” said Ashley Peterson. “I won’t get to see her dreams come true. I don’t get to help her plan her wedding.”

“I sincerely hope the defendant has learned something from this,” said her mother. “This was not an accident. He chose to rent a jet ski illegally. He chose to kill my daughter. I miss my baby girl.”

Mark Peterson said it took him 48 hours to get home and it was difficult learning the news while at sea. “Nightmares are a constant,” he said. “This was no accident… it was stupidity.”

“No father should learn about the death of his daughter while in deployment for our country,” said Emily Case, a neighbor of the Petersons, in Pacific Beach.

The victim’s aunt submitted a letter that was read out loud and said, “I have so much anger for a complete stranger.”

Ghaly stood up, faced the judge, and apologized to the family, saying, “I never meant for this to happen.”

“That day there was a lot going on. That tragedy happened,” said Ghaly. “I relive the moment every day. I came here not to argue.”

His attorney, Hakim Geris Hakim, said his client has “gone through a lot of change” as a result of this case. He will work hard. I hope for peace. Life is precious.”

“This is a tragedy that could have been avoided. You are 100% at fault,” Shamoon told Ghaly.

The judge said she was still “concerned that you’re not taking this seriously.”

Shamoon ordered Ghaly to pay $29,000 to the Peterson family in restitution.

The parents have filed a wrongful death suit against the City and County of San Diego, as well as the San Diego Unified Port District, the state of California, Ghaly, and several other people.

Many defendants filed papers asking that the judge dismiss them from the lawsuit in several motions from March to May 2025. According to court records, a case management conference with a judge is set for Feb. 7.

Ghaly is confined to the central jail without bail.