A former altar boy at an $80,000-a-year boarding school is now facing a murder charge after a deadly confrontation with a homeless man in Beverly Hills. Conoray Lawantara, 19, appeared in court Thursday, offering a faint smile as his case took a dramatic turn.
The teen, dressed in a blue jumpsuit, was arraigned on one count of murder for the stabbing death of 40-year-old Vanik Voskanyan. Lawantara’s girlfriend watched from the gallery as the judge set bail at $2 million and ordered him to surrender his passport.
Defense attorney Debra White claimed the homeless man initiated the violence, allegedly biting off part of Lawantara’s finger and stabbing him in the abdomen during a struggle. White argued that Lawantara only pulled out his knife when the man refused to let go.
But Judge Keith Schwartz pushed back hard, stating there was “no reason for the defendant to have contact” with the victim. According to court documents, the judge described the stabbing as happening “repeatedly, like in a horror movie,” adding that the homeless man was “minding his own business.”
Lawantara, an Indonesian national, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
New details emerged about the suspect’s background. He reportedly attended Portsmouth Abbey, an exclusive Catholic boarding school in Rhode Island that costs $80,000 a year. Photos from the school’s website showed Lawantara serving as an altar boy during his time there.
The school did not respond to requests for comment.
The fatal encounter took place Sunday night in an alley behind an apartment in the 400 block of North Palm Drive. Neighbors told reporters that Lawantara lived there with his girlfriend. Police responded to a fight call around 11:39 p.
m. and found both men injured.
Videos obtained by local media show a frantic Lawantara handcuffed and describing his side of the story to officers. “He reached for me and at that time I produced a CCW — it’s a 3. 9 inch knife,” he reportedly said.
Another clip captured the victim stumbling and moaning in agony after being stabbed.
The violence stunned the upscale neighborhood, where homes sell for millions. One resident described “pools of blood all around,” likening the scene to a crime show.
With a $2 million bail and a passport surrender, what happens next for the former altar boy facing a murder charge?
