California high school tennis star killed in traffic accident; DUI suspect arrested

Braun Levi had just won his fourth consecutive league title and was a month from graduation when he was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver Sunday.

Loyola High tennis standout Braun Levi, 18, was killed early Sunday morning (May 4) in Manhattan Beach where a woman was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving. / Courtesy of Loyola Athletics

Just a month before high school graduation, tragedy has hit Loyola High School in Los Angeles.

Standout tennis player Braun Levi was killed in a traffic accident in Manhattan Beach Sunday morning, according to multiple reports. The Los Angeles Times reported Manhattan Beach police arrested a 33-year-old Los Angeles woman on suspicion of drunk driving and homicide in connection with the crash.

The accident occurred just after midnight. Levi was 18 years old.

The police department's news release stated the incident involved a pedestrian in the 100 block of South Sepulveda Boulevard. The victim was found lying in the street.

The woman was identified as Jenia Belt, who had previously been charged with a DUI in 2023. That incident suspended her license, according to a report from the LA Times. Belt's suspension was still active Sunday. Her first DUI incident involved a hit and run with property damage, to which she was sentenced with a misdemeanor, a year of probation and ordered to make restitution.

As of Monday, Belt remains in custody without bail in Manhattan Beach.

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"We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Loyola senior, Braun Levi," a social media post from Loyola's Athletic Department reads. "Levi, 18, was a four-year varsity starter for Loyola tennis and cemented himself as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, having just won a fourth consecutive league title."

Levi, whose family lost their home in the Palisades Fire in January, was committed to attend the University of Virgina in the fall.

The Loyola community isn't far removed from similar tragedy that struck in 2023. Ryan Times, a pitcher on the baseball team, was hit and killed by a train during the school's spring break.

Levi is survived by his parents and an older sister, according to the LA Times.

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