SAN DIEGO – The young man who struck and killed a 12-year-old girl who was paddleboarding in Mission Bay with his rented jet ski in 2023 has paid $30,310 in restitution to the girl’s family, court records confirmed Monday.
The restitution was paid to Ashley and Mark Peterson II, the parents of Savannah Peterson, who live in Pacific Beach. The parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Arsanyous Refat Ghaly, 20, and others in June 2024.
Ghaly was estimated at driving the jet ski at 65 mph, where the speed limit is 5 mph at 100 feet from shore, where the girl and others were estimated in the water on July 29, 2023.
Ghaly pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in her death and was sentenced Nov. 15, 2024, to 230 days in jail by San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon on two years’ probation.
Ghaly has finished his jail term, and he showed up on May 9 to pay $300 in fines. He returned on May 30 to pay $30,310.14, according to court records.
Despite the payment, Shamoon scheduled two status hearings on June 13 and June 16 just to make sure the payment was final in the event of a problem. A court clerk confirmed on June 16 that the settlement was accepted as final.
Shamoon also transferred jurisdiction of the case to Los Angeles Superior Court because Ghaly lives in Bellflower.
This payment by Ghaly is for the criminal aspect of the case, not the civil case. The civil case has a life of its own with other co-defendants, and Ghaly’s role will probably be dismissed.
Ashley Peterson was with her daughter when the incident occurred, and she said at the sentencing that she cannot return to Mission Bay because of the trauma.
Mark Peterson was on a Navy ship in the Middle East when his daughter was injured, and it took him 48 hours to get home. Both he and his wife insisted this incident was not an accident.
Shamoon told Ghaly at sentencing, “You are 100% at fault” and chided him for disregarding what a lifeguard warned him about speeding on the jet ski.
Deputy District Attorney Savanah Howe said at sentencing that Ghaly was only concerned about how his sentence might interfere with his phone, his job, and his college work.
Ghaly’s attorney, Hakim Hakim, said his client “has gone through a lot of change” and promised “he will work hard.”
At sentencing, Ghaly did apologize to the family and said, “I relive the moment every day.”
The lawsuit also names the operators of Offer Up Inc., a company that is alleged to have matched a couple who advertised their jet ski equipment to Ghaly. It alleges that the owners were not properly registered with the city and that Ghaly and his friend didn’t receive safety instructions.
Also named as co-defendants are the City, County, the Port District, and the state of California. The suit says there were “dangerous conditions” and the government agencies “failed to warn or abate it.”
Attorneys representing these agencies have appeared in court for various motions. The government agencies have denied any liability. No trial date has been set.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Man pays restitution to Pacific Beach family for death of daughter in Mission Bay )
Also on site :
- Palestinians in Gaza are calling for their own ceasefire
- Breast cancer survivors may have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, experts say
- Shrimp and grit: Commercial fishermen, coastal legislators vow to spike proposed shrimping ban