Scholarship Fund Launched; Suspect with Suspended License Held Without Bail
Tributes poured in over the weekend for Loyola High School senior Zachary Braun Levi, whose life was cut short earlier this month in a suspected DUI crash in Manhattan Beach.
Levi, 18, was remembered at memorials in both Manhattan Beach and on Loyola’s campus, where he had served as captain of the varsity tennis team. Widely regarded as one of the school’s most accomplished student-athletes, Levi had earned a national tennis ranking and committed to play for the University of Virginia this fall.
A memorial was held at Loyola and a “paddle out” was held in Manhattan Beach in Levi’s honor, after a prior memorial was held at his favorite beach volleyball court in the South Bay city.
A high school freshman,Takuto Goh, from Culver City said, “Every time I saw him, he was always so nice and was smiling, and that says everything.”, as quoted by the Southern California Tennis Association.
Pam Shriver said, in a social media post, “Heaven gained an angel today but the Los Angeles tennis community lost a young pilar and gem. It’s hard to express our family’s sadness over the loss of Braun Levi.”
The Manhattan Beach resident and his family had recently moved from Pacific Palisades after losing their home during January’s wildfire. Levi was struck and killed in the early morning hours of May 4 while walking with a friend near South Sepulveda Boulevard. Police arrested 33-year-old Jenia Resha Belt at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Investigators later revealed Belt was driving on a suspended license, a consequence of a previous DUI arrest in November 2023. She pleaded no contest to a hit-and-run charge in September 2024 as part of a plea deal that dismissed the DUI charge and placed her on a year of probation. Belt remains in custody without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 28 in Inglewood for a potential probation violation.
In lieu of flowers, Levi’s family has asked for donations to be made to the “Live Like Braun” Scholarship Fund, established in his memory, in lieu of flowers. Donations can be made here, and to donate specifically to the scholarship, write in Levi’s name in the space provided.
