A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder following a deadly confrontation in a Beverly Hills alley that left a 40-year-old man dead.
Police responded to reports of a fight late Sunday night, Aug. 30, in the 400 block of North Palm Drive. Officers found a man with serious injuries to his neck. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Authorities identified the suspect as Conoray Lawantara, who was also treated for injuries following the confrontation. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains that he acted in self-defense.
Deadly Confrontation in Beverly Hills
The incident happened at approximately 11:39 p.m. when Beverly Hills police were called about an altercation involving two men.
According to investigators, the victim suffered multiple sharp-force injuries. The Los Angeles County medical examiner later identified him as Vanik Voskanyan, 40.
A nearby resident, Brigette Barbie, said she heard sounds of distress and went outside, where she saw a man lying on the ground with significant bleeding. She later recorded video of the scene that captured Lawantara speaking with police.
Lawantara told officers that he had not initiated the confrontation. He claimed the other man reached toward his leg, after which he pulled out a knife he described as a concealed-carry weapon.
Suspect Claims Self-Defense as Prosecutors Pursue Murder Charge
Lawantara’s attorney, Debra White, argued during a court hearing that the encounter began as a verbal dispute before becoming physical. According to the defense account, the victim allegedly grabbed Lawantara around the neck and struck him with an elbow.
The defense also said Lawantara suffered injuries during the encounter, including a stab wound and an injury to his finger.
However, Judge Keith Schwartz questioned why Lawantara had made contact with the victim and indicated that the available information did not show a reason for the defendant to have approached him.
Lawantara was formally arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty. His bail was set at approximately $2.02 million. If released, he must surrender his passport and wear a GPS monitoring device.
Background and Next Court Appearance
Lawantara had recently attended Portsmouth Abbey, a boarding school in Rhode Island, where he had reportedly served as an altar boy.
A neighbor said Lawantara had recently moved into the Beverly Hills area and had previously become upset with Voskanyan over allegations that he was going through trash.
The case remains under investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the confrontation will likely be examined further as the criminal proceedings continue.
Lawantara’s next scheduled court appearance is a preliminary hearing setting on Nov. 5 at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles County.
