A 19-year-old former altar boy has been charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a homeless man in Beverly Hills. Conoray Lawantara pleaded not guilty to the charge on Thursday in a Los Angeles courtroom.
Authorities allege Lawantara attacked Vanik Voskanyan, 40, in an alley behind a residential building on August 30. Neighbors reported hearing a commotion and seeing Lawantara confront Voskanyan, who was reportedly searching through trash bins.
Police responded to a report of a fight and found Voskanyan with a severe neck wound. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Lawantara was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
Lawantara's defense attorney, Debra White, maintained that her client acted in self-defense, stating that Voskanyan had reached for Lawantara's neck, elbowed him, and bit his finger.
However, neighbors provided a different account, telling investigators that Voskanyan had been walking away and that Lawantara initiated the confrontation after becoming bothered by the homeless man searching through garbage. One resident stated that Lawantara followed Voskanyan, telling him he shouldn't be there.
In a video obtained by The California Post, Lawantara can be heard telling police he produced a concealed carry knife after Voskanyan reached for his leg. He claimed Voskanyan refused to let him go and continued to struggle.
Judge Keith Schwartz questioned Lawantara's need to confront Voskanyan, noting that the alleged victim was reportedly not violent and was minding his own business. The judge described the stabbing as occurring "like in a horror movie."
The court also revealed Lawantara's past as an altar boy at Portsmouth Abbey, a private Catholic boarding school in Rhode Island. Lawantara's bail was set at over $2 million, and he was ordered to surrender his passport.
Police are treating the incident as isolated and do not believe anyone else was involved.