A repeat drunk driver accused of mowing down and killing an 18-year-old tennis star after he survived the Palisades Fire has finally been arrested and charged with murder — seven months after the deadly crash.
Jenia Resha Belt, 33, faces one count of murder for the May 4 crash. Her blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit at the time of the collision, according to a $200 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim’s family.
Braun Levi, 18, was walking with a friend down a boulevard in Manhattan Beach at around 1 a.m. on May 4 when an Infiniti FX35 allegedly driven by Belt plowed into the teen and killed him.
Levi was a three time captain of the Loyola High School tennis team, and his friend were walking along the road when Belt allegedly plowed into him — violently ending his life just months before he due to play tennis at the University of Virginia following his graduation from high school.
“The force of the impact propelled Braun’s body down the roadway, resulting in catastrophic injuries,” the Manhattan Beach Police Department said.
Paramedics rushed Levi to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. His family had relocated to Manhattan Beach after their house was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Belt, 33, also faces one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and a misdemeanor count for driving on a suspended or revoked license, according to the LA County District Attorney’s Office.
The California DMV said Belt’s driving license was suspended in January 2024. In 2023, prosecutors filed drunk driving and hit-and-run charges against Belt, according to police.
Levi’s parents said the money from the lawsuit will go to the “Live Like Braun Foundation” — a scholarship fund they founded following their son’s death that will also help support public tennis centers and raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.
The lawsuit claims Belt visited a bar in Hermosa Beach and consumed “excessive quantities of alcohol” before driving.
“Defendant Belt voluntarily commenced and thereafter continued to consume alcoholic beverages to the point of intoxication, knowing from the outset that she must thereafter operate a motor vehicle,” the wrongful death lawsuit claims.
“Our family has made the decision to file a civil lawsuit against the individual responsible for taking Braun’s life,” the teen’s mother, Jennifer Levi, said.
“This is not a decision rooted in anger, vengeance, or financial gain. It is a decision grounded in accountability, prevention, reform, and the unwavering love we have for Braun.”
Belt is being held on a $2 million bail bond.
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