A repeat drunk driver accused of mowing down a high school tennis star has been charged with murder seven months after the deadly crash.
Jenia Belt, 33, struck Braun Levi, 18, as he crossed Sepulveda Boulevard at Ronda Drive in Manhattan Beach back in May.
He later died from his injuries just weeks before he was set to graduate from Loyola High School.
The standout tennis player was nationally ranked and was slated to go to the University of Virginia, according to NBC4.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges during a press conference Monday morning alongside Levi’s bereft mother, according to the outlet.
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“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 in a statement.
Belt’s driver’s license was suspended in January 2024, according to the California DMV. Prosecutors filed drunk-driving and hit-and-run charges against Belt the year before, according to police.
Belt faces up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted on charges of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
