A San Diego man faces manslaughter charges for allegedly hitting and killing a 12-year-old girl on a jet ski after he was warned she was going too fast.
Arsanyous Ghaly, 19, is accused of killing the girl, identified only as Savannah, in July 2023 while she was paddleboarding in Mission Bay, near De Anza Cove.
It was hit about 30 feet from shore on a day in perfect conditions.
Lifeguards attempted to revive her after she was brought to shore, but she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Lifeguard John Kerr testified at a preliminary hearing Monday that before the fatal accident, he stopped a man on a green jet ski and gave him a warning, according to reports. NBC San Diego.
Arsanyous Ghaly, 19, is accused of killing the girl, identified only as Savannah, in July 2023 while she was paddleboarding in Mission Bay, near De Anza Cove.
The lifeguard said the man, whom he identified as Ghaly, was traveling at an “incredibly high speed” near the cove, where the speed limit is five miles per hour.
Another witness said the jet ski raced toward the girl at between 30 and 35 miles per hour.
Kerr added that moments after stopping Ghaly, another man with an identical jet was stopped for speeding. He said the man was Ghaly’s cousin and that he was acting belligerently and refused to hand over his boater’s card.
The lifeguard then claimed that Ghaly drove to the area where the second man was detained and crossed dangerously close to his boat.
Kerr said he told the men, “You’re either going to hurt someone or you’re going to hurt yourselves.”
The second driver’s jet ski was confiscated and Ghaly left.
The lifeguard said the man, whom he identified as Ghaly, was traveling at an “incredibly high speed” near the cove, where the speed limit is five miles per hour.
As Kerr towed the jet ski to shore, he said he heard the radio call about an accident 300 meters from where he was.
Ghaly’s lawyers questioned Kerr’s testimony after he misidentified a man in court as the jet sky’s second driver, named Peter.
However, when asked by defense attorneys if it was possible that Kerr had misidentified Ghaly, the lifeguard said: “Doubtful.”
Meanwhile, SDPD Officer Alyssa Tutterow said Ghaly admitted he was the driver at the scene, adding that he did not know the speed limit and did not have a navigation card.
Tutterow also said data from the Yamaha Jet-Ski showed the boat was traveling at a speed of 47 to 53 miles per hour and there was no evidence of breakage.
A judge must decide whether preliminary hearings reveal enough evidence to send Ghaly to trial.
