SAN DIEGO — A San Diego County Health and Human Services official accused of striking and killing a woman at a Southcrest bus stop before fleeing the scene pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run.
Assmaa Elayyat, deputy director for Self Sufficiency Services, is charged in connection with the May 22 crash that killed 27-year-old Katie Osorio, who was sitting at a bus stop on National Avenue.
If convicted on all charges, Elayyat faces up to 11 years in state prison. Prosecutors have not alleged that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
Elayyat remains free on $50,000 bail under conditions that prohibit her from driving or leaving San Diego County.
Deputy District Attorney Hailey Williams said Elayyat’s vehicle drifted into oncoming traffic shortly before 2 p.m., jumped a curb and struck a bus stop bench and a tree.
Williams said Elayyat “struggled to extricate her vehicle from the tree because she had struck it with such force,” then nearly struck Osorio a second time while backing up.
According to prosecutors, Elayyat fled the scene, leaving behind her vehicle’s front bumper and driver’s side mirror. License plate reader cameras later identified the vehicle about a mile away, leading to a traffic stop by police.
Williams said that when questioned, Elayyat told investigators she could not remember the collision but acknowledged she might have hit a sign on National Avenue. The prosecutor said Elayyat later told investigators she had been distressed by the recent shooting at a San Diego mosque.
Williams also noted that Elayyat has a limited criminal history, including a 2010 misdemeanor DUI conviction in San Bernardino County.
Defense attorney Jeff Gold said his client has voluntarily enrolled in SCRAMx monitoring, a program commonly used to monitor alcohol consumption among defendants.
Although Elayyat is not facing DUI-related charges, Gold described the monitoring device as a “leash” that would help ensure she remained accountable.
“Our goal is to make sure that she never makes decisions like this again,” Gold said, arguing that “the recent murders at the mosque led her to make dire decisions that were based on stress and emotions.”
Williams contended that Elayyat enrolled in SCRAMx to potentially earn conduct credits that could reduce a future jail sentence. Gold disputed that claim, saying his client agreed to the monitoring because it was “the right thing to do.”
“I think it’s a matter of emotional discipline that led to this crime and what SCRAMx does is in fact hold you accountable,” Gold said.
Gold asked Superior Court Judge Alana Wong Robinson to order SCRAMx monitoring as a condition of release. The judge declined, though Gold said Elayyat would continue participating voluntarily.
County officials said Elayyat has worked for San Diego County since 2020.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life. Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and all who are grieving during this incredibly difficult time,” county officials said in a statement.
A GoFundMe page established for Osorio’s family described her as “a devoted daughter, cousin, and friend who worked tirelessly in San Diego to support her mother in Mexico. She balanced two jobs while also managing a business back home, always putting her family first.”
About a dozen of Osorio’s relatives and friends attended Tuesday’s arraignment. As Elayyat left the courtroom, some shouted “murderer” and “justice for Katie.”
Family members said Osorio had recently become engaged and was planning to marry later this year. They said she had just finished work at one of her jobs and was waiting for a bus when she was struck.
