After losing a child far too young, a parent might be forgiven for turning away from the world, shrinking in their grief.
In the year since Braun Levi died at 18, hit by an alleged drunk driver in Manhattan Beach, his family has taken another path — responding with ferocious devotion to secure a legacy of their lost son. Levi’s family formed the Live Like Braun Foundation after the accident last May that took the life of the teenager, who had relocated with his parents to the South Bay after their Pacific Palisades home burned down in the 2025 wildfire.
Foundation members and Levi’s mother, Jennifer Levi, have been working relentlessly since then to celebrate Levi’s life. They funded scholarships for college students, held seminars to inform high schoolers about the dangers of drunk driving, promoted a toughening of DUI laws in the state Legislature and exalted the notion that everyone should live like the teen.
The anniversary of Levi’s death
“That means to live fully, with joy, passion, kindness, and heart… just like Braun,” Jennifer Levi said. She recalled her son Thursday, three days after the anniversary of his death, killed as he and friends tried to cross Sepulveda Boulevard in the wee hours of May 4, 2025.
Jennifer Levi said the family didn’t want to mark the terrible anniversary in any special way. “We feel that we honor him and celebrate him in such a big way every single day,” she said. “I didn’t feel like giving the power to [that day and] the person who took his life.”
People light smoke flares during the “Paddle Out” memorial for Loyola High School tennis player Braun Levi at The Strand on Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Manhattan Beach, CA.
(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
Levi’s life was taken when 33-year-old Jenia Belt, speeding, drove into Levi along the wide thoroughfare that serves as state Highway 1, authorities said. Police said Belt, driving with a suspended license and with a previous drunk driving conviction, had a blood-alcohol level almost twice the legal limit when she plowed into Levi.
Prosecutors have charged Belt with second-degree murder, felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other charges. She is being held on $2 million bail and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
The younger Levi had excelled in the classroom and on the tennis team at Loyola High School. He had been a league doubles champion every year during high school, nationally ranked and ready to walk on to the team at the University of Virginia.
A call to live like Braun
“Braun was an extraordinary student-athlete, but what we always say that we’re most proud of was the way he treated other people,” Jennifer Levi said. “I thought the best way to carry on his legacy and to honor him is to put good back into the world. Braun made a big impact on people on a personal level, on an emotional level, and I want to do that in a way that changes people’s futures.”
The foundation plans to grant scholarships to 10 or 11 students attending trade schools, community colleges and four-year universities. Jennifer Levi said she is looking for students who embody her son’s passion and need money to “bridge the gap” to afford college. She has met with students at several high schools (and plans to expand to other campuses and earlier grades in the coming year) to talk about the anguish that drunk drivers can leave behind.
She also is working with state Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) to toughen penalties for drunk driving, including mandatory warnings to first-time offenders that they could be subject to murder allegations if they kill someone during a repeat offense. At the same time, she said: “Nothing will ever bring back our son. So no sentence will ever feel appropriate.”
Jennifer Levi, center, joined lawmakers in Sacramento in February to introduce bills aimed at repeat DUI offenders in response to the death of her 18-year-old son last year.
(Jennifer Levi)
Andre Aggasi remembers Levi
The foundation has become an outsize presence at major athletic events. With 66 runners and nearly 100 volunteers, it was one of the top charities at the Los Angeles Marathon in March. The same month, the UCLA and USC men’s volleyball teams dedicated their match as “Live Like Braun Night.” Among major donors to the foundation is tennis great Andre Agassi, who said in a statement: “Although I only knew Braun briefly, his spirit and kindness left a lasting impression.”
A couple of hours after I spoke to Jennifer Levi on Thursday, she emailed to say: “What started with tears and outrage around a kitchen table with my friends has turned into something so much bigger than I could ever imagine. The Foundation is my biggest gift to Braun, his legacy, my family and others that will span decades to come.”
Today’s top stories
People work on a home under construction along Palm Street on April 30, 2026, in Altadena.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. fire survivors face financial crisis
- Fifteen months after Los Angeles County’s devastating fires, nearly 40% of survivors report they will soon, or already have, run out of temporary housing insurance before they can rebuild or move home.
- Lower-income families and communities of color are disproportionately facing hardships and more likely to be facing imminent financial insecurity, including falling behind on bills or cutting back on food.
How Chad Bianco is shaking up California’s gubernatorial primary
- The Riverside County sheriff is polling above 10% in California’s gubernatorial race on a tough-on-crime platform closely aligned with President Trump’s agenda.
- He also faces scrutiny for seizing more than 650,000 election ballots in what critics call a baseless fraud investigation.
Trees that survived L.A. County’s wildfires are disappearing
- Roughly 20% of surviving street trees have disappeared from Pacific Palisades and Altadena since the January 2025 wildfires.
- Local advocates say needless removals and inadequate watering are threatening decades of neighborhood cooling and environmental health benefits.
What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
- Trump’s judicial nominees are fact-challenged and unfit, argues columnist Jackie Calmes.
- These Lakers have shown they desperately do not want this season to be over. It’s over, writes columnist Bill Plaschke.
This morning’s must-read
Another must-read
For your downtime
A Margat samak dish is served alongside various other dishes served at Yerord Mas in Glendale.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Going out
Staying in
A question for you: What’s your fondest Mother’s Day memory?
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … your photo of the day
Betye Saar wears a Gucci kaftan, the artist’s own archival “Mojo necklace” from 1974 and Patricia Von Muslin jewelry.
(Gioncarlo Valentine / For The Times)
Today’s great photo is from photographer Gioncarlo Valentine of Betye Saar, one of the most celebrated artists to come out of L.A. She’s turning 100 years old in July.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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