PICO UNION, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A Manhattan Beach community is struggling to cope with the loss of a beloved teen killed by a suspected drunk driver.
Hundreds gathered Saturday morning on the beach to honor 18-year-old Braun Levi. Then, a celebration of life event was held at Loyola High School on Saturday night. The event was packed, with more people present than there were chairs to sit in.
Braun is being remembered as someone who was a friend to everyone and brought non-stop fun to every occasion. Family members said Braun befriended practically everyone at Loyola High School by the end of his first month at the school.
“By the end of his first year, a tennis all-star, by the end of every day, he showed us how deeply loving, effortlessly joyful, and fearlessly a person could be larger than life,” Father Billy Biegler said.
“He was happy every single day, the kid was never sad, he was kind every day,” his father, Dan Levi, said.
Last weekend, the high school senior tennis star was run over by a suspected drunk driver while walking along Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.
On Saturday morning, not far from there, hundreds of people got in the water and participated in a “paddle out” in his memory.
“I want people to live like Braun — and that means enjoy every day, be curious, take advantage of every day, smile, laugh, live it to the fullest,” a participant said. “He was always curious and kind to other people.”
Braun was weeks away from graduating and planned to attend college in Virginia in the fall.
“It breaks my heart that UVA won’t get to experience his light. I can’t tell you how many times he called me and said, ‘Adelle, I’m so excited for college,'” his sister, Adelle Levi, said at the event.
His family is now asking for support as they try to rebuild their lives without him.
“We need you guys to get us through this. Thank you for being here, and don’t forget about us. This will be a long journey for us to recover,” his father said.
Jenia Resha Belt, 33, was arrested following the crash. She’s being held on a $500,000 bail.
Belt was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash, and records show her license was suspended because of a previous drunk driving arrest.
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