Loyola High School tennis star struck and killed by suspected drunk driver
Teen tennis star killed by suspected DUI driver
The Loyola High School community is mourning the loss of 18-year-old Braun Levi. The teen tennis player was hit and killed by a suspected DUI driver who was allegedly behind the wheel on a suspended license.
LOS ANGELES - The Loyola High School community is in mourning after a student was killed by an alleged drunk driver over the weekend.
Officers responded to the crash site at South Sepulveda near First Street in Manhattan Beach just before 1 a.m. where Jenia Belt, 33 of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and murder, according to police.
Authorities say the driver struck a pedestrian who was rushed to a hospital before succumbing to his injuries. Belt is being held with no bail. According to the LA Times, Belt was driving on a suspended license due to a prior DUI conviction.
The victim was later identified as 18-year-old Braun Levi, a student who was one month away from his graduation at Loyola High School.
Teen tennis star killed by suspected DUI driver
Braun Levi, 18, was hit and killed while walking in Manhattan Beach. He played tennis for Loyola High School.
"Levi was a team captain and 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 championship on April 29th," the school’s athletics department posted to social media.
On Sunday night, a prayer vigil in memory of Levi was organized by the school.
"Braun was a friend and an inspiration to me. He was a friend to all who knew him, and we are all better for having known him," said Loyola High School Asst. Principal Paul Jordan.
Levi was described as a leader on campus, serving on the Student Council and as a senior Big Brother, Kairos retreat leader, and volleyball team manager.
He was set to attend the University of Virginia in the fall.
Family speaks out
This devastating loss for the Levi family comes just four months after they lost their home in the Palisades Fire.
"I've gotten countless messages from people I've never even met before just telling me stories and sending me photos," said Braun's sister Adele.
"Everybody says, oh, he's the tennis player and smart kid, but he was way more than that. His personality was off the charts. He was always up to something. Everybody loved him. Not just the athletes or the cool kids, but everybody. He was friends with everybody and you know, genuine friends with everyone," his dad Dan said.
"He was a bright, bright star with an amazing future that was robbed from him much too early," his mother added.