Loyola High School tennis star, 'a shining presence,' killed in Manhattan Beach crash; DUI suspect arrested

Just past month, Loyola High School successful Los Angeles celebrated elder Braun Levi for moving into the apical nationalist ranks of boys tennis.

The 18-year-old bagged different triumph conscionable days ago, winning the Mission League doubles championship. In a photo, the beaming Levi stands beside teammate Cooper Schwartz, holding up 4 fingers — 1 for each of his 4 consecutive league doubles championships.

Those achievements had to beryllium a spot of a balm for the Levi family, coming conscionable a fewer months aft their location successful Pacific Palisades burned successful the January firestorm. The household had relocated to the South Bay.

It felt beyond comprehension, then, erstwhile Loyola Principal Jamal Adams emailed students and unit of the Catholic Jesuit schoolhouse Sunday to pass them that Levi had been killed successful a postulation mishap conscionable hours earlier, a period earlier his precocious schoolhouse graduation.

“Braun was a shining beingness successful our Loyola family,” Adams wrote, “bringing light, joy, and inspiration to everyone helium touched.”

The main invited the Loyola schoolhouse household to a supplication vigil connected field Sunday evening. “All members of our assemblage are invited to articulation america arsenic we stitchery successful unity and remembrance,” Adams wrote.

Manhattan Beach constabulary said they had arrested a 33-year-old Los Angeles pistillate connected suspicion of drunk driving and homicide successful transportation with the crash, which they said occurred aft midnight Sunday morning.

A little quality merchandise from the section said lone that a telephone came successful astatine 12:46 a.m. astir a postulation mishap involving a pedestrian successful the 100 artifact of South Sepulveda Boulevard. They recovered the victim, whom they did not identify, lying successful the street.

The constabulary connection said that Jenia Belt of Los Angeles had been arrested successful the crash. Belt remained successful the Manhattan Beach jailhouse Sunday, a constabulary ticker commandant said.

Friends showered Levi’s societal media relationship with tributes to him. Levi was to be the University of Virginia successful the fall.

“Anyone who got to cognize you knows however fortunate they are,” said 1 message. “You ne'er met a stranger, and near an interaction connected everyone you met. I’m going to unrecorded and emotion arsenic large arsenic you each day.”

Said another: "Whether you were fortunate capable to transverse paths with him for an hr oregon a lifetime, helium near an impression. It was intolerable to beryllium bittersweet oregon bored whenever Braun was around, and his acquisition for lifting those astir him was genuinely singular."

The images from Levi’s societal media hint astatine a prototypical Southern California upbringing. He’s wading successful a High Sierra water with his family, arm-in-arm with buddies connected the beach, posing for a selfie with histrion Adam Sandler and rocking a pinkish suit and a fedora beside a equine racing track.

Just 2 years ago, different Loyola High student-athlete died successful the last weeks of his precocious schoolhouse career. Ryan Times, a pitcher connected the shot team, was struck and killed by a bid successful April of 2023, erstwhile the schoolhouse was connected outpouring break.

Brian Held, manager of the Loyola varsity tennis team, called Levi, a three-year captain, "probably the astir decorated subordinate to ever play for the school."

Held besides taught Levi successful AP Economics and Statistics. "We are each stunned, devastated and heartbroken with this tragedy," Held said via email. "Braun was the astir amazing, all-around leader, whom everyone loved, adjacent his opponents. He was conscionable that benignant of kid — unsocial and special. As 1 of his teachers, I witnessed however helium brought joyousness to everyone."

Levi is survived by his parents and an older sister.

Times unit writer Eric Sondheimer contributed to this report.

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This communicative primitively appeared successful Los Angeles Times.