California woman charged with murder in drunk-driving death of teenage tennis star
- - California woman charged with murder in drunk-driving death of teenage tennis star
Marc Ramirez, USA TODAYDecember 31, 2025 at 2:38 AM
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A California woman has been charged with murder in the alleged drunk-driving death of an 18-year-old high school tennis star as the boy’s mother vows to fight for stricter laws.
Jenia Resha Belt, a 33-year-old security guard, is charged with one felony count each of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, in addition to a misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license following a DUI, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, Dec. 29.
Belt is accused of fatally hitting Braun Levi as he crossed Sepulveda Boulevard in the upscale Los Angeles-area city of Manhattan Beach at about 12:45 a.m. on May 4. Levi, just weeks away from graduation from the city’s Loyola High School, was a nationally ranked tennis star who had recently won a fourth consecutive league title.
“This case represents an unimaginable loss − not only for Braun Levi’s family, but for his school, his teammates and an entire community that watched a remarkable young man build a bright future,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a news release. “Driving under the influence is not a mistake; it is a profound disregard for human life.”
Belt is being held on a $2 million bail with an arraignment set for Jan. 13. Hochman said he will seek a lifetime prison term for her.
Dana Lawrence Flaum, the deputy public defender representing Belt, did not immediately return USA TODAY's request for comment on Tuesday.
Here's what else to know about the tragic death, including what Levi's mother is fighting for.
Braun Levi's senior portrait.Braun Levi's mother shares pain, fight for change
Braun Levi's mother, Jennifer Levi, said she had to act in the wake of her son's death.
“The feeling, the sight, the smell of identifying our son’s body will never leave my mind, body or soul,” she said at a news conference announcing the charges. “I will not be silent.”
Levi said she supports legislation proposed by state Sen. Bob Archuleta that would restructure the state’s DUI sentencing and punishment laws. Archuleta’s oldest grandchild was killed by an alleged drunken driver in a wrong-way, head-on collision late last year.
"As people were putting up the Christmas tree getting ready for the holidays, we got a message that my granddaughter was killed on the highway," Archuleta said at the news conference. "These things have got to stop."
The Levi family had relocated to Manhattan Beach after losing their home in the Palisades Fire just four months before Braun Levi was killed, Loyola High Principal Jamal Adams told USA TODAY an interview earlier this year. Braun was “instrumental” in helping other young people recover from the tragedy, Adams said, initiating peer-to-peer counseling efforts and a retreat for those affected.
He called Levi an exceptional student and athlete.
“He was a humble young man who did a great job of highlighting and bringing joy to the people around him,” Adams said. “He was a vibrant part of our community and in so many nooks and crannies of our community.”
District Attorney warns other drivers about murder charges
According to a CalMatters investigation, roadway deaths in California have gradually increased over the last 15 years, in part because of repeat drunk drivers and speeders. Deaths linked to alcohol consumption, meanwhile, have risen by half over the last 10 years, the investigation found.
Officials said that Belt had a prior DUI conviction and a suspended license before the crash that killed Braun Levi.
“California’s current DUI laws are broken and weak and fail to protect families like ours, and it’s devastating,” Jennifer Levi said. “His death haunts my every breath, every day.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that Hochman said the state’s DUI laws, considered among the nation’s vanguard four decades ago, have since lagged behind.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman speaks during a press conference at the Los Angeles Hall of Justice on Dec. 16, 2025.
Hochman called the charges against Belt a warning to anyone who might consider piloting “a multi-thousand-pound potential instrument of death” under the influence or at excessive speeds.
“If you go ahead an engage in this incredibly dangerous conduct … you could be looking at murder charges,” he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman faces murder charge in drunk-driving death of teen tennis star
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