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.
