Manhattan Beach, CA – A California woman has been charged with murder following a crash that resulted in the death of high school tennis star Braun Levi. Jenia Resha Belt, 33, faces second-degree murder charges as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Belt was arrested on December 23, months after the May 4 incident in which Levi, 18, was struck while walking with a friend. Initially arrested at the scene, Belt is charged with being intoxicated and driving with a suspended license from a previous drunk driving arrest.
Levi was crossing Sepulveda Boulevard around 12:45 a.m. when he was hit. First responders found him in the roadway, and he died after being taken to a hospital.
According to court records, Belt had a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit during the crash. The four passengers in her vehicle fled the scene, and she was subsequently arrested after being released in June.
Levi’s family lost their home in the January Palisades wildfires and had moved to Manhattan Beach just four months before his death. They have established a foundation in his memory and filed a $200 million wrongful death lawsuit against Belt in November.
Belt faces charges of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and driving with a suspended license. She is expected to be arraigned on December 31.
