Tennis star weeks from graduation killed by accused drunk driver, CA police say
Manhattan Beach Police officers responded to a report of a vehicle hitting a pedestrian just before 1 a.m. Sunday, May 4, the department said in a Facebook post.
Despite efforts to save the pedestrian, identified by multiple news reports as Braun Levi, 18, he died from his injuries at a hospital, police said.
The driver, identified as Jenia Belt, 33, of Los Angeles, was arrested on felony counts of DUI and murder, according to police. She is being held without bail, jail records show.
Loyola High School Principal Jamal K. Adams shared news of Levi's death with 'profound sadness,' according to a statement obtained by KCAL.
'Braun was a shining presence in our Loyola family, bringing light, joy, and inspiration to everyone he touched,' Adams said, according to the news outlet.
The school's assistant principal called Levi's death an 'unthinkable tragedy' during a prayer service, the Manhattan Beach News reported.
'Braun was a friend and an inspiration to me,' Paul Jordan said, the outlet reported. 'He was a friend to all who knew him, and we are all better for having known him. Braun loved his family, he loved Loyola, he loved his Palisades community, and he loved all of you, his fellow cubs.'
Jordan noted Levi 'was and is alive all across this campus,' adding that now is the time to tell his stories, a video of the service shows.
'For example, one of my favorites is in March when Braun decided on a whim to run the LA Marathon with no training,' Jordan said, bringing about laughter in the solemn room.
Levi, who recently moved to the South Bay after his family lost their home in the Palisades Fire, served as his high school's tennis captain for three years, The Los Angeles Times reported.
In a Facebook post, Loyola Athletics called the high school senior 'one of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, having just won his 4th consecutive league championship on April 29.'
Brian Held, coach of the varsity tennis team, told The Los Angeles Times that Levi was 'probably the most decorated player to ever play for the school.'
'We are all stunned, devastated and heartbroken with this tragedy,' Held said in an email to the newspaper. 'Braun was the most amazing, all-around leader, whom everyone loved, even his opponents. He was just that type of kid — unique and special.'
Others echoed the sentiment, including a friend on Instagram, who called Levi a 'legend.'
'Whether you were lucky enough to cross paths with him for an hour or a lifetime, he left an impression,' the friend wrote. 'It was impossible to be sad or bored whenever Braun was around, and his gift for lifting those around him was truly singular.'
Manhattan Beach is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Los Angeles.
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NBC News
12-08-2025
- NBC News
Video appears to show the moment a Palestinian activist is killed as an Israeli settler opens fire
TEL AVIV, Israel — New video footage appears to show the moment a Palestinian activist was killed as an Israeli settler fired toward him during a confrontation with unarmed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank last month. The video released Sunday by B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, shows Israeli settler Yinon Levi firing a gun toward the person filming. The footage cuts but the camera keeps rolling as the person moans in pain. B'Tselem says it obtained the video from the family of Awdah Hathaleen, 31, an activist, English teacher and father of three who was shot and killed on July 28, and who they said had filmed it. Levi, who is shown firing his gun twice in a video shot by another witness and obtained by The Associated Press, was briefly detained and then released from house arrest by an Israeli court, which cited lack of evidence. The shooting occurred in Umm al-Khair, a village that has long weathered settler violence in an area profiled in the Oscar-winning film 'No Other Land.' Settler attacks on Palestinians have spiked since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, as have attacks by Palestinian militants. 'Awdah's killing is another horrific example of how Palestinians, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, are currently living without any sort of protection, fully exposed to Israeli violence, while Israeli soldiers or settlers can kill them in broad daylight and enjoy full impunity while the world watches,' said Sarit Michaeli, the international outreach director for B'Tselem. Levi was previously under U.S. sanctions that were lifted by the Trump administration. Both videos appear to show the same confrontation between Levi and a group of Palestinians. The earlier video shows him firing two shots from a pistol but doesn't show where the bullets struck. Several witnesses had told the AP they saw Levi shoot Hathaleen. Avichai Hajbi, a lawyer representing Levi, told the AP that Levi acted in self-defense — without specifying what his actions were. Hajbi pointed to a court's decision earlier this month that released Levi from house arrest, citing insufficient evidence. The judge said Levi did not pose a danger justifying continued house arrest, but barred him from contact with the villagers for a month. The Israeli police didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about whether they'd seen the videos. B'Tselem said Levi was with a crew that brought an excavator from a nearby settlement into Umm al-Khair. Residents, fearing it would cut the village's main water line, gathered on a dirt road to try and block its path, and at least one individual threw a stone at the vehicle's front window. Levi then confronted the crowd while waving a handgun. The new video shows Levi arguing heatedly with three men before firing the gun in the direction of the person filming. Hathaleen was standing at the village community center about 40 meters (130 feet) from the confrontation, said B'Tselem. The bullet hit him in the chest and he collapsed on the spot, it said. Eitan Peleg, a lawyer for Hathaleen's family, said they told him Hathaleen had shot the footage on his phone. He said the police asked him for the video, which they hadn't seen. Peleg said he's urging the district court to investigate Levi for more serious crimes. Levi helped establish a settler outpost near Umm al-Khair that anti-settlement activists say is a bastion for violent settlers who have displaced hundreds since the start of the war. Palestinians and rights groups have long accused Israeli authorities of turning a blind eye to settler violence. In a 2024 interview, Levi told the AP that he was protecting his own land and denied using violence. After Hathaleen's killing, Israel's army initially refused to return his body for burial unless conditions were met for the funeral, including limiting the number of people and the location. After an agreement was made with the police about a week later, Hathaleen's body was returned and buried. Hathaleen had written and spoken out against settler violence and had helped produce the Oscar-winning film. Supporters have erected murals in his honor in Rome, held vigils in New York and have held signs bearing his name at anti-war protests in Tel Aviv.
San Francisco Chronicle
11-08-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Video appears to show the moment a Palestinian activist is killed as an Israeli settler opens fire
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — New video footage appears to show the moment a Palestinian activist was killed as an Israeli settler fired toward him during a confrontation with unarmed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank last month. The video released Sunday by B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, shows Israeli settler Yinon Levi firing a gun toward the person filming. The footage cuts but the camera keeps rolling as the person moans in pain. B'Tselem says it obtained the video from the family of Awdah Hathaleen, 31, an activist, English teacher and father of three who was shot dead on July 28, and who they said had filmed it. Levi, who was shown firing his gun twice in video shot by another witness and obtained by The Associated Press, was briefly detained and then released from house arrest by an Israeli court, which cited lack of evidence. The shooting occurred in Umm al-Khair, a village that has long weathered settler violence in an area profiled in the Oscar-winning film 'No Other Land.' Settler attacks on Palestinians have spiked since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, as have attacks by Palestinian militants. 'Awdah's killing is another horrific example of how Palestinians, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, are currently living without any sort of protection, fully exposed to Israeli violence, while Israeli soldiers or settlers can kill them in broad daylight and enjoy full impunity while the world watches," said Sarit Michaeli, the international outreach director for B'Tselem. Levi was previously under U.S. sanctions that were lifted by the Trump administration. Both videos appear to show the same confrontation between Levi and a group of Palestinians. The earlier video showed him firing two shots from a pistol but did not show where the bullets struck. Several witnesses told the AP they saw Levi shoot Hathaleen. Avichai Hajbi, a lawyer representing Levi, told the AP that Levi acted in self-defense — without specifying what his actions were. Hajbi pointed to a court's decision earlier this month that released Levi from house arrest, citing insufficient evidence. The judge said Levi did not pose a danger justifying continued house arrest, but barred him from contact with the villagers for a month. The Israeli police didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about whether they'd seen the videos. B'Tselem said Levi was with a crew that brought an excavator from a nearby settlement into Umm al-Khair. Residents, fearing it would cut the village's main water line, gathered on a dirt road to try and block its path, and at least one individual threw a stone at the vehicle's front window. Levi then confronted the crowd while waving a handgun. The new video shows Levi arguing heatedly with three men before firing the gun in the direction of the person filming. Hathaleen was standing at the village community center about 40 meters (130 feet) from the confrontation, said B'Tselem. The bullet hit him in the chest and he collapsed on the spot, it said. Eitan Peleg, a lawyer for Hathaleen's family, said they told him Hathaleen had shot the footage on his phone. He said the police asked him for the video, which they hadn't seen. Peleg said he's urging the district court to investigate Levi for more serious crimes. Levi helped establish a settler outpost near Umm al-Khair that anti-settlement activists say is a bastion for violent settlers who have displaced hundreds since the start of the war. Palestinians and rights groups have long accused Israeli authorities of turning a blind eye to settler violence. In a 2024 interview, Levi told the AP he was protecting his own land and denied using violence. After Hathaleen's killing, Israel's army initially refused to return his body for burial unless conditions were met for the funeral, including limiting the number of people and the location. After an agreement was made with the police about a week later, Hathaleen's body was returned and buried. Hathaleen had written and spoken out against settler violence and had helped produce the Oscar-winning film. Supporters have erected murals in his honor in Rome, held vigils in New York and have held signs bearing his name at anti-war protests in Tel Aviv.
Indianapolis Star
07-08-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Braun's immigration crackdown targets wrong people, violates Constitution
If you commit the 'crime' of speaking Spanish, watch your back. The Indiana State Police and Indiana National Guard are looking for you. Gov. Mike Braun recently announced the state police, Department of Corrections and Indiana Department of Homeland Security will join the national guard in assisting the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement roundup of immigrants into the U.S. Braun said the state will make 1,000 beds available in the Miami Correctional Facility to imprison people who have been convicted of nothing and have been given no due process. The Marion County Sheriff has said he will go along with the order, in part because the federal government pays him per detainee, while the state does not. This is an affront to anyone who values liberty, limited government and human dignity. It wastes police resources — and Hoosiers' tax money — in diverting them from searching for and prosecuting crimes against person and property by actual criminals to instead rounding up peaceful people who are seeking a better life. Immigrants work in our farms, factories and communities, shop at our stores, and contribute positively to our state's economy and culture. Opinion: Indiana taxpayers shouldn't subsidize $168M in data center corporate welfare It's also a gross violation of the words Braun said on Jan. 13, when he placed his hand on a Bible and swore an oath to God and the people of Indiana that he would uphold and defend both the Indiana and U.S. constitutions. Participating in President Trump's scheme to systematically dismantle due process and the rule of law is a clear violation of that solemn oath. While Braun and Trump claim this is a roundup of 'violent illegal immigrants,' the witch hunt has gone far beyond that. Of those being arrested, 71% have no criminal convictions at all. Among those who do, most are for minor offenses — and only 8% have been convicted of violent crimes. The number of those without any conviction being arrested and detained keeps rising. However, Trump has been eager to not just deport the 'violent' criminals, but also to round up anyone who is Latino, Asian or Middle Eastern, treating everyone as a potential illegal immigrant, to meet a quota of 3,000 arrests per day vocalized by White House adviser Stephen Miller, while the administration gleefully touts deplorable conditions in detention centers and violates due process rights. To desperately reach that goal, it means rounding up people who aren't criminals, but who have fled oppressive communist and socialist regimes and lawfully sought asylum, revoking visas and green cards for students without explanation, and sweeping up U.S. citizens and throwing them in jail. People showing up for their visa appointments — doing the right thing in good faith — are being arrested in court and taken to faraway detention facilities where they know nobody and have little chance of contacting representation. One case involved a 20-year-old Purdue student from South Korea who was on active student visa but arrested detained and shipped to Louisiana at her hearing. This is the work of a banana republic, not a republic bound by a constitution that has a very clear mandate to protect due process rights and a tradition of 'innocent until proven guilty.' Participating in such a system — and actively and enthusiastically doing so — is denying people their dignity, as well as their human rights. Briggs: Diego Morales' work ethic isn't the problem. It's his corruption. As Libertarians, we believe in the sovereignty of the individual and the freedom to live, work and move in peace. A state government deputizing local and state officers to participate in a federal scheme of rounding up people for the sole crime of looking different or speaking with an accent, on the hopes of 'finding illegals,' violates that principle. It undermines state sovereignty and also sows distrust between our immigrant communities and local authorities. The U.S. immigration system is irreparably broken. It is a Byzantine system with a number of hoops and steps someone must jump through to legally emigrate to the U.S., which incentivizes 'illegal immigration." The Trump administration has doubled down on it by not only making legal immigration more difficult, but also by revoking visas and arresting and deporting people going through the process the right way for small paperwork errors. Truly making America great would be living up to the words on the Statue of Liberty — 'Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free' — not weaponizing local police to kidnap, detain and deport people trying to properly follow the system, while revoking visas and making the immigration system more difficult. Braun should not allow Indiana prisons to be used to detain people who are not criminals. He should honor our tradition of federalism by refusing to comply with the federal authorities carrying out these heinous acts. Meanwhile, the federal government should offer a bridge, not an alligator-infested moat, to those seeking a better life in the great melting pot of the U.S.
