Overview
- Investigators say Teresa Gonzales, a 44-year-old single mother, was struck and killed while crossing El Camino Real in South San Francisco on Nov. 11, 2017 and the driver fled the scene.
- Police identified Maher Abedelal as the driver after a yearslong probe and obtained a warrant after determining he left the country.
- Federal and local agencies worked with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Israel’s Ministry of Justice and National Police to locate, arrest and return the suspect.
- Abedelal was returned to the United States and was booked into San Mateo County custody on July 14, 2026 on charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run and is being held without bail.
- The case will move into the local court process with an initial appearance set soon and the prosecution in San Mateo County will determine charges, plea options or a trial while the victim’s family continues to seek answers.