'His Death Haunts My Every Breath,' Says Mom Of 18-Year-Old Killed In Manhattan Beach DUI Crash

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —After the sudden and tragic death of her 18-year-old son in May, Jennifer Levi said she and her family are no longer the people they once were.

Jennifer Levi, who joined Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman at a Monday news conference, said Braun Levi's death left her family "shattered, ripped apart and left to pick up the pieces."

"We love him so deeply, and his death haunts my every breath," Jennifer Levi said.

Jenia Resha Belt, 33, of Los Angeles, was charged with murder in connection with the May death of Braun W. Levi, the district attorney's office announced.

Belt was also charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license, prosecutors said.

Attorney information for Belt was not immediately available.

“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," Hochman said in a written statement.

Jennifer Levi called her son's death a "preventable tragedy" — one she hopes serves as a foundation for stricter DUI laws in the state of California.

Fatal Crash

Manhattan Beach police responded to a report of a vehicle hitting a pedestrian just before 1 a.m. Sunday, May 4, the police department announced.

Despite efforts to save the pedestrian, later identified as 18-year-old Braun Levi, he later died at a hospital, police said.

Police said Belt told officers she drank “Moscow mule at a bar in Hermosa Beach before getting into the SUV to drive,” according to court documents obtained by Southern California News Group. Belt's blood alcohol content was 0.19%, more than double the legal drinking limit in California, the news outlet reported.

At the time of the crash, Belt was driving on a suspended license, which was part of a plea deal in connection with a 2023 DUI hit-and-run, according to court records obtained by Southern California News Group.

In November, Braun Levi’s parents sued Belt for $200 million in damages, as well as punitive damages, the law firm Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP announced in a written statement.

“As a repeat offender, Jenia Belt knew the inherent risks of driving under the influence, and she must be held accountable for her negligence,” the family’s attorney, Spencer Lucas, said in the written statement. “Not only has she stolen the life of an incredible young man, but she has forever changed the lives of those who loved him.”

High School Tennis Star

The Levi family moved to the South Bay after losing their home in the Palisades Fire, the lawyers said.

Levi attended Loyola High School, where he served as the tennis team’s captain, according to the lawyers.

Loyola Athletics referred to him as “one of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, having just won his 4th consecutive league championship on April 29.”

Levi, who had been admitted to the University of Virginia to play tennis, died just weeks shy of graduation, the attorneys said.

About a month after the deadly crash, Belt was released from jail custody, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s booking log, The Los Angeles Times reported.

In a November email to Patch, Zara Lockshin with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Belt had not been formally charged but that an investigation was ongoing.

Belt was taken into custody Wednesday, the Manhattan Beach Police Department said.

Belt, who is being held on $2 million bail and is expected to appear in court again Jan. 13, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said.

A Push For Change

The district attorney's office used Braun Levi's case as a platform to push for stricter DUI laws in California.

"The purpose of this press conference is certainly to highlight the tragic case of what happened to Braun Levi on that night back in May of 2025, but also to use this press conference to send the message to state legislatures, to send the message to the DMV, to judges that we need to take these issues extremely seriously," Hochman said.

Hochman said that in the 1980s, California led the nation in passing some of the strictest DUI laws.

However, Hochman said, "California has fallen behind in actually going after drunk and drug driving."

Senator Bob Archuleta said Braun Levi's case is a starting point for reform, adding that he will fight for legislation to implement stricter DUI laws.

"Braun, we're fighting for you," Archuleta said.

Jennifer Levi, too, championed stricter laws, calling the current laws "broken and weak."

"I guarantee if any of you had to identify the body of your child or loved one in the manner that my husband and I did a few months ago, you would not be silent," Jennifer Levi said. "The feeling, the sight, the smell of identifying our son's body will never leave my mind, body, or soul, so I will not be silent."