Loyola High School Senior Fatally Struck By Suspected DUI Driver in Manhattan Beach
May 04, 2025 03:48PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Friends began leaving flowers on Sepulveda Blvd. in Manhattan Beach at the site of the accident that took the life of Loyola High School senior Braun Levi on Sunday, May 4.
A Loyola High School senior has died after being struck by a car in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 4 in Manhattan Beach. The driver, a DUI suspect, has been arrested.
Friends identified the young man as Braun Levi, a tennis star whose family had relocated to Manhattan Beach after they lost their house in the Palisades fires earlier this year.
A woman suspected of driving under the influence has been arrested for the fatal accident, which took place shortly before 1:00 a.m. in the 100 block of South Sepulveda Blvd.
Jenia Belt, age 33, of Los Angeles, was taken into custody and charged with murder (under Penal Code 187(a)) and driving under the influence.
Manhattan Beach Police released the following statement on Sunday:
On May 4, 2025, at approximately 12:46 a.m., Manhattan Beach Police Department officers responded to a report of a traffic collision in the 100 South block of Sepulveda Boulevard involving a pedestrian.
Upon arrival, officers located a victim lying in the street next to a vehicle. The Manhattan Beach Fire Department arrived on the scene and transported the victim to a local trauma hospital. Despite life-saving efforts by medical personnel, the victim succumbed to their injuries.
The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision was arrested and transported to the MBPD jail for booking.
This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Traffic Officer Gaunt at (310) 802-5098.
Levi Was Tennis Star, "Shining Presence"
Levi was a much-loved classmate at Loyola High School. Just last month, he had won his fourth straight Mission League doubles championship.
"Braun was a shining presence in our Loyola family," wrote Loyola Principal Jamal Adams in an email to students and staff on Sunday.
At a prayer service held on Sunday night, Loyola Assistant Principal Paul Jordan called Levi's death "an unthinkable tragedy."
"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 Jordan. "Braun loved his family, he loved Loyola, he loved his Palisades community, and he loved all of you, his fellow Cubs."
A video of the prayer vigil can be seen here. Jordan said that an official celebration of life ceremony would be coming soon.
Levi had planned to attend the University of Virginia in the fall.
Meanwhile, Mira Costa High School Principal Jennifer Huynh noted in an email to Mira Costa families that Levi "had many connections to MCHS students" and that the school had been informed
that there were MCHS students present at the time of the accident.
This has been an especially difficult year for Mira Costa seniors, who are still mourning the loss of classmate Ford Savela in a hauntingly similar accident in January (see more below).
Huynh said that counseling support from Beach Cities Health District and Taking Time: South Bay, a local bereavement support
program, will be available and ready to assist at Mira Costa on Monday.
Sepulveda Site of Multiple Fatal Accidents
The stretch of Sepulveda south of Manhattan Beach Blvd. has been the site of numerous fatal accidents - and tragically, it has been the site of the deaths of two high school seniors in the past five months.
Mira Costa High School senior Ford Savela was killed in a hit-and-run crash on January 7 near 3rd and Sepulveda. (The suspect is now in custody and was charged with murder.)
Earlier, in December 2024, a pedestrian was killed between 8th and 9th Streets on Sepulveda.
In 2013, a pedestrian and a motorcyclist were both killed in a
crash between 6th Street and 8th Street. In 2011, a motorcyclist was
killed in a collision with a car at 8th and Sepulveda.
The intersection at 8th and Sepulveda was later re-striped and a dedicated left turn signal was added in 2018.
Nevertheless, that stretch of Sepulveda continues to be a high-risk zone. In 2022, a two-car accident at 6th and Sepulveda resulted in a toppled-over car, but passengers escaped without major injury.
