A serial drunk driver who is accused of fatally striking a high school tennis star in southern California in May has been charged with murder.
Jenia Belt, 33, is accused of hitting and killing 18-year-old Braun Levi as he crossed Sepulveda Boulevard at Ronda Drive in Manhattan Beach, California, the New York Post reported. Levi later died from his injuries, only a few weeks before he was supposed to graduate from Loyola High School.
“The force of the impact propelled Braun’s body down the roadway, resulting in catastrophic injuries,” the Manhattan Beach Police Department said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, joined by Levi’s mother, announced the murder charge at a press conference on Monday, December 29.
“My office has zero tolerance for reckless behavior that endangers lives. Driving under the influence is not a mistake; it is a profound disregard for human life. We extend our deepest condolences to the Levi family and everyone grieving this devastating loss,” Hochman said.
Belt faces 15 years to life in prison if she is convicted of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, both felony charges. She is being held on $2 million bail, according to the report.
Belt’s driver’s license was suspended in January of last year, and prosecutors filed drunk-driving and hit-and-run charges against her the previous year, according to authorities.
Levi was nationally ranked and was supposed to play tennis at the University of Virginia after high school graduation, according to the report. The college team honored Levi after his death by wearing his name on their sleeves at an NCAA tournament appearance.
Levi’s family filed a $200 million wrongful death lawsuit against Belt earlier this year, alleging she consumed “excessive quantities of alcohol” at an Hermosa Beach bar before driving.
Levi’s parents said the money from the lawsuit would go to a scholarship fund called “Live Like Braun Foundation,” which would raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving and support public tennis centers.
Belt’s arraignment is set for January 13, according to the report.