A suspected drunk driver is behind bars after allegedly killing a California high school tennis star over the weekend.
Braun Levi, who had recently relocated to the Manhattan Beach area after his family lost their home in the Palisades Fire, was fatally struck by 33-year-old Jenia Belt at around 1 a.m. Sunday. According to The Los Angeles Times, Levi had been walking with a friend on Sepulveda Boulevard, Manhattan Beach police said.
“Despite life-saving measures, the pedestrian succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” MBPD said in a news release Sunday. “The driver of the involved vehicle, 33-year-old Jenia Belt of Los Angeles, was arrested for felony DUI and murder.”
Belt already faced DUI charges from a November 2023 incident, making her ineligible to drive, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records and information provided to The Times.
In the 2023 incident, she was charged with driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or refusing a chemical test, and hit and run with property damage.
In September 2024, she entered a no contest plea to a misdemeanor count of hit and run with property damage. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dismissed the DUI-related charges. Court records indicated that she received a one-year probation sentence and was ordered to pay restitution.
As a senior at Loyola High School, Levi climbed the national tennis rankings, KNBC reports. Friends and classmates held a prayer vigil on campus Sunday night, where they remembered him as committed to doing the right thing as both a player and teammate, according to the outlet.
Belt remains behind bars without bail.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Levi Braun/Family Handout]
