LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The mother of a teenage tennis star who was fatally struck by an alleged drunken driver in Manhattan Beach called Monday for tougher DUI laws to crack down on impaired motorists.

Jennifer Levi, whose 18-year-old son Braun Levi was killed May 4, spoke at a downtown Los Angeles news conference with District Attorney Nathan Hochman and other elected officials, saying California needs to be tougher on drunk driving.

"The feeling, the sight, the smell of identifying our son's body will never leave my mind, body or soul," Levi said. "So I will not be silent. That's why I'm committed to advancing a new bill to restructure California DUI sentencing and punishment."

During the news conference, Hochman formally announced charges against the motorist accused of driving drunk and killing Levi's son around 12:45 a.m. May 4 in the 100 block of South Sepulveda Boulevard. Jenia Resha Belt, 33, fatally struck Braun Levi, a Loyola High School star athlete who was just weeks away from graduation.

Braun Levi's family had relocated to Manhattan Beach after losing their home in the Palisades Fire. Levi was walking with a friend along Sepulveda Boulevard when he was struck. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Belt was initially arrested shortly after the crash but was released from custody a month later, according to jail records. She was charged Dec. 18 with murder, gross vehicular murder while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license. A warrant was issued for her arrest when the charges were filed, and Manhattan Beach police announced that she was taken into custody by District Attorney's Office investigators last Tuesday. She was being held at the Manhattan Beach jail on $2 million bail.

On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Laura C. Ellison re-scheduled Belt's arraignment for Jan. 13 at the Torrance Courthouse.

Hochman said Monday his office will be pushing for life imprisonment for Belt.

"These very, very serious charges are a message not just to Miss Belt ... but to everybody out there who is thinking during this holiday season or at any point in time of getting behind the wheel, drunk and intoxicated, or engaging in excessive speeds, that if you go ahead and engage in this incredibly dangerous conduct, and you are driving a car -- a multi-thousand- pound potential instrument of death -- that if you go ahead and actually kill or injure someone, you could be looking at murder charges, that then you will be facing life imprisonment," he said.

Jennifer Levi said she will be backing legislation being pushed by Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, to toughen sentences for impaired drivers. Archuleta's granddaughter was killed by an alleged drunken driver about a year ago.

Earlier this year, he co-sponsored legislation that would require anyone convicted of drunken driving to pass a breathalyzer or ignition interlock device test before starting a vehicle. The bill would also require people convicted of DUI to pay for installation of the interlock device in all vehicles they own.

Braun Levi was nationally ranked in tennis, and his family told reporters at the time that he was bound for the University of Virginia.

"Braun was a shining presence in our Loyola family, bringing light, joy and inspiration to everyone he touched," Loyola High School posted on its website after his death. "As the Varsity tennis team captain for three years, Braun was a true leader and student athlete, serving as a member of the Student Council, a senior Big Brother, Kairos retreat leader and volleyball team manager.

"... May his family find peace, strength and solace in the embrace of our collective love and support."

The U.S. Tennis Association Southern California published an extensive tribute to Levi, saying he "had a way of brightening every room he walked into; he was radiant. His sportsmanship never wavered. And his love -- for tennis, people, and life -- was always evident."

His friend and doubles partner, Cooper Schwartz, recalled in the tribute that Levi was a star on the tennis circuit, on and off the court.

"At any tournament we played together, Braun was a celebrity," Schwartz said. "He somehow had a memory made with at least every single player in the draw. At The Ojai Invitational, I lost count of how many kids came up just to say hi to him. Braun was SoCal tennis royalty, everyone knew him, and everyone loved him."

The Los Angeles Times reported previously that Belt was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash, stemming from a previous DUI arrest in November 2023. According to court records, she pleaded no contest in September 2024 to a hit-and-run charge under a deal with prosecutors in which the DUI charge was dismissed and she was placed on a year of probation.

Gary and Shannon

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