Inset: Braun Levi (Loyola Athletics/Instagram). Background: The vehicle that allegedly struck Braun Levi early Sunday morning, May 4, in Manhattan Beach, California (ONSCENE.TV/KABC/YouTube).
A California high school tennis prodigy, just a month shy of graduation, was killed over the weekend by a driver suspected of being under the influence, according to police.
Braun Levi, 18, had moved to the Manhattan Beach vicinity after his family lost their residence in the Palisades Fire, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. He was fatally struck by 33-year-old Jenia Belt from Los Angeles around 1 a.m. on Sunday while strolling with a friend on Sepulveda Boulevard, the Manhattan Beach Police Department states.
“Despite life saving measures, the pedestrian succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” MBPD officials said in a press release Sunday. “The driver of the involved vehicle, 33 year old Jenia Belt of Los Angeles, was arrested for felony DUI and murder.”
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Levi was reportedly making his way up the national tennis ranks as a senior at Loyola High School, a private Roman Catholic college-preparatory institution in Los Angeles, local NBC affiliate KNBC reported. He was memorialized at a prayer vigil held on campus Sunday night and remembered as someone who was selfless and always trying to do the right things as a player and teammate, according to the outlet.
“Braun organized the Loyola Strong retreat that we had for students whose families lost their homes in the Palisades Fire,” Father John Quinn, a school priest, reportedly said at the vigil. “He himself lost his home in the Palisades Fire,” Quinn said about Levi. “Somebody so close to graduation who loved this school so much was taken from us far too soon.”
Days before his death, Levi reportedly won his fourth consecutive Mission League doubles championship for Loyola, along with teammate Cooper Schwartz.
“A four-year starter, Levi completes his title sweep with his fourth straight doubles championship (2022 & 2023 with Darren Ignatius ’24) while Schwartz wins his second in a row with Levi (2024 & 2025) and third overall in his career,” the school wrote on its Loyola Athletics Instagram page after the April 29 win. “Congratulations!”
Describing Levi in an IG post after his death, the school noted how he was a team captain and four-year varsity starter who “cemented himself as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history,” per its post. He was going to attend the University of Virginia in the fall.
“Levi was a true leader throughout our campus, serving as a member of the Student Council, a senior Big Brother, Kairos retreat leader and volleyball team manager, to name a few,” the school said. “His lovable personality, infectious smile, and boundless energy made him a beloved member of the Loyola community. He was a true Man for and With Others, and we will miss him dearly.”
